EU Opens Applications for Tokenized Securities Standards Group

The European Commission, European Central Bank and European Securities and Markets Authority have opened applications for an industry group to develop standards for holding and settling tokenized securities. The European Tokenisation Standards Group is expected to begin work in January 2027, with its first standards targeted for early 2028.

Nominations are due November 27, 2026. Industry participants will lead the group, while the three authorities take part as observers. The institutions will assess applications, considering candidates’ professional qualifications and balanced representation across geographic regions and industry sectors.

The group’s mandate covers technical and market standards for securities held or settled across distributed ledger technology platforms, and for connecting those platforms with traditional financial infrastructure. Its work is intended to address differences in how systems record ownership, exchange transaction information and complete transfers, which can make links between platforms difficult.

The initial standards are intended to support Appia, the Eurosystem initiative to develop a framework for tokenized financial markets. The group will...