HSBC wins Bank of England approval to enter Digital Securities Sandbox

HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, has received approval to operate in the United Kingdom’s Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS), allowing its digital assets platform, HSBC Orion, to support the issuance, servicing and settlement of digital securities.

The bank announced Tuesday that HSBC Orion will operate as a digital securities depository within the DSS, a regulatory environment designed to test new technology for securities markets. HSBC said it is the first company approved by the Bank of England to go live in the sandbox.

HSBC’s platform will support digitally native bond issuance, including the UK’s planned digital sovereign bond — Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT) — and corporate bonds. HSBC said HSBC Orion has enabled more than $5 billion in digital bond issuances globally.

HM Treasury said Thursday that the first DIGIT transaction is expected by Q1 2027, adding that HSBC and London Stock Exchange Group also signed a memorandum of understanding to develop connectivity that supports investor access to the pilot issuance.

Launched in 2024, the DSS is operated by the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority to test distributed ledger technology for issuing, trading and settling securities in a live regulatory environment.