Doha Bank Completes $150M Digital Bond with Instant Settlement on Euroclear DLT
Doha Bank has issued a $150 million digital bond that settled instantly on Euroclear’s distributed ledger infrastructure (DLT), signaling a growing preference in the region for regulated, permissioned digital bond platforms over public blockchains.
The Qatari lender listed its digitally native notes on the London Stock Exchange’s International Securities Market, achieving same-day settlement through Euroclear’s Digital Financial Market Infrastructure, a permissioned DLT system operated by a central securities depository. Standard Chartered served as the sole global coordinator and arranger, overseeing the structuring, execution, and distribution of the bond.
The transaction underscores a broader trend in the Middle East and Asia, where banks and regulators are increasingly adopting permissioned DLT platforms to maintain regulatory oversight while leveraging the efficiency of tokenized issuance. Public blockchains, such as those used for DBS’s Ethereum-based structured notes, remain suitable for cases emphasizing investor access and programmability.
“Doha Bank’s debut digital bond highlights the efficiencies digital infrastructure can bring to capital markets and reflects growing client demand for next-generation execution capabilities,” said Salman Ansari, global head of capital markets at Doha Bank.
Euroclear’s DLT platform is specifically designed for regulated markets, offering controlled access, legal finality, and seamless integration with existing custody and settlement systems. This enables T+0 settlement and automated record-keeping while remaining compatible with international market standards.
Sebastien Danloy, Euroclear’s chief business officer, added, “This transaction demonstrates that same-day execution and settlement are achievable on a regulated DLT platform, reducing friction and saving time while ensuring the confidence expected by issuers and investors.”
The deal forms part of a wider regional push to modernize capital markets infrastructure, with platforms like HSBC’s Orion and JPMorgan’s Onyx (now Kinexys) enabling tokenized bonds to integrate with traditional post-trade systems. This approach allows faster settlement and on-chain record-keeping while preserving familiar custody, listing, and investor access structures.
According to Standard Chartered, Doha Bank’s transaction reflects rising demand for digital issuance, helping move tokenization from pilot projects to fully operational markets across the Middle East and Asia.
