The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has expanded EnsembleTX to support round-the-clock interbank settlement of tokenised deposit transactions using tokenised central bank money (CeBM).
Announced during Hong Kong Fintech Week 2026 on 2 November, the upgrade allows participating institutions to settle transactions beyond conventional banking hours.
The pilot now involves 12 participating banks and 20 industry pioneers.
Launched in November 2025, EnsembleTX initially used Hong Kong’s Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system to settle tokenised deposit transactions between banks.
Eddie Yue, Chief Executive of the HKMA, said,
“In just two years, Project Ensemble has transitioned from experimentation and piloting to a new phase focused on promoting the commercialisation of tokenisation applications in Hong Kong.”
The HKMA will continue working with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to support the development of tokenised financial infrastructure.
PantherTrade completes HK$1 million tokenised fund transaction
Futu-owned PantherTrade completed a transaction using HK$1 million in tokenised deposits to purchase units in a tokenised money market fund managed by China Asset Management (Hong Kong).
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) provided the tokenised deposit capabilities and digital clearing infrastructure, while PantherTrade facilitated secondary-market trading through its licensed virtual asset trading platform.
The transaction demonstrated how tokenised deposits could support investment activities beyond traditional banking and fund-dealing hours.
ICBC (Asia) achieves 24/7 interbank settlement
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) also achieved round-the-clock interbank settlement of tokenised deposits through a CBDC-based settlement channel.
The bank worked with HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong) and China Construction Bank (Asia) to validate interbank transfers and fund settlement.
ICBC (Asia) has participated in compliance checks and technical testing since June 2026.
The upgraded infrastructure supports settlement overnight and on public holidays, allowing tokenised deposits and digital assets to be transferred beyond conventional banking hours.
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by topntp26 via Magnific
