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DBS Bank to Offer Tokenised Gold to Retail Customers in 2026
In a move that could democratise gold ownership, DBS Bank announced it will launch a tokenised gold product for retail customers in the second half of 2026.
The new offering, dubbed DBS Physical Gold Tokens, will be accessible through the bank’s digibank app and may also appear on the DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx). Each token will represent a single gram of physical gold that DBS holds in a dedicated vault in Singapore. The bank said it will manage tokenisation, issuance, distribution and ongoing management entirely in‑house, leveraging bank‑grade infrastructure to secure the underlying gold.
Tokenisation follows a broader industry trend of converting real‑world assets (RWAs) into blockchain‑based tokens. DBS has offered physical gold to its wealth‑management clients since 2013, but retail investors have historically accessed only gold funds. According to the bank, the size of physical gold holdings in the portfolios of its affluent clients has more than doubled over the past three years.
James Tan, head of DBS’s investment product and advisory unit, said that tokenisation will broaden retail access to physical gold in a safe and meaningful way. "By fractionalising the asset, we lower the barrier to entry and make gold ownership more inclusive," Tan explained.
The launch comes after DBS’s 2025 tokenisation activities, which included issuing structured notes on Ethereum and listing the tokenised money‑market fund sgBENJI and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on its digital platforms. DDEx, which began trading in 2025, is a Singapore‑based security‑token exchange that supports asset tokenisation, secondary trading of digital assets, and direct conversion between digital assets and fiat.
Offering tokenised gold to retail customers expands the range of digital‑asset products available to Singapore’s general public. The tokens will allow smaller investors to purchase fractional ownership of gold bars stored in the bank’s vaults, potentially lowering the barrier that has traditionally limited physical‑gold ownership to institutional and accredited investors.
The announcement is part of a growing wave of financial institutions exploring tokenised real‑world assets. While the exact launch date remains in the second half of 2026, the bank has confirmed that the tokens will be fully backed by physical gold and that the underlying vaults will be subject to the same security and regulatory oversight as the bank’s other custodial services.
As the digital‑asset market matures, DBS’s move may influence other banks to consider similar tokenised products, especially as regulatory frameworks for digital securities evolve. The bank’s decision to keep tokenisation in‑house also signals a preference for tight control over the entire lifecycle of the asset, from custody to trading.
In summary, DBS Bank is set to introduce tokenised physical gold to retail customers in 2026, with each token backed by one gram of gold stored in Singapore. The product will be offered via digibank and potentially on DDEx, expanding retail access to a traditionally institutional asset class while maintaining strict custodial oversight.
The new offering, dubbed DBS Physical Gold Tokens, will be accessible through the bank’s digibank app and may also appear on the DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx). Each token will represent a single gram of physical gold that DBS holds in a dedicated vault in Singapore. The bank said it will manage tokenisation, issuance, distribution and ongoing management entirely in‑house, leveraging bank‑grade infrastructure to secure the underlying gold.
Tokenisation follows a broader industry trend of converting real‑world assets (RWAs) into blockchain‑based tokens. DBS has offered physical gold to its wealth‑management clients since 2013, but retail investors have historically accessed only gold funds. According to the bank, the size of physical gold holdings in the portfolios of its affluent clients has more than doubled over the past three years.
James Tan, head of DBS’s investment product and advisory unit, said that tokenisation will broaden retail access to physical gold in a safe and meaningful way. "By fractionalising the asset, we lower the barrier to entry and make gold ownership more inclusive," Tan explained.
The launch comes after DBS’s 2025 tokenisation activities, which included issuing structured notes on Ethereum and listing the tokenised money‑market fund sgBENJI and Ripple’s RLUSD stablecoin on its digital platforms. DDEx, which began trading in 2025, is a Singapore‑based security‑token exchange that supports asset tokenisation, secondary trading of digital assets, and direct conversion between digital assets and fiat.
Offering tokenised gold to retail customers expands the range of digital‑asset products available to Singapore’s general public. The tokens will allow smaller investors to purchase fractional ownership of gold bars stored in the bank’s vaults, potentially lowering the barrier that has traditionally limited physical‑gold ownership to institutional and accredited investors.
The announcement is part of a growing wave of financial institutions exploring tokenised real‑world assets. While the exact launch date remains in the second half of 2026, the bank has confirmed that the tokens will be fully backed by physical gold and that the underlying vaults will be subject to the same security and regulatory oversight as the bank’s other custodial services.
As the digital‑asset market matures, DBS’s move may influence other banks to consider similar tokenised products, especially as regulatory frameworks for digital securities evolve. The bank’s decision to keep tokenisation in‑house also signals a preference for tight control over the entire lifecycle of the asset, from custody to trading.
In summary, DBS Bank is set to introduce tokenised physical gold to retail customers in 2026, with each token backed by one gram of gold stored in Singapore. The product will be offered via digibank and potentially on DDEx, expanding retail access to a traditionally institutional asset class while maintaining strict custodial oversight.
