crypto.news
Standard Chartered-backed Libeara’s MG 999 fund offers tokenized, synthetic exposure to gold for institutional investors in Singapore, pairing gold-linked performance with lending to jewelry retailers like Mustafa Gold amid rising global demand for safe-haven assets.
- Libeara and FundBridge launch MG 999, a tokenized gold fund whose tokens track spot prices without holding physical bullion.
- The fund targets institutional and accredited investors and includes a lending sleeve, with Mustafa Gold as the first borrower.
- The deal extends Standard Chartered’s RWA tokenization and digital asset strategy as gold demand climbs on geopolitical and dollar concerns.
Libeara, a blockchain infrastructure platform backed by Standard Chartered’s venture arm SC Ventures, launched a tokenized gold investment fund in Singapore, the company announced.
The fund, developed in partnership with FundBridge Capital, enables professional investors to gain exposure to gold through blockchain-based tokens issued on Libeara’s ledger. Each token is designed to correlate to the spot price of gold, according to the companies.
Standard Chartered eyes expansion to Singaporean markets
FundBridge stated the structure eliminates traditional vaulting and logistics costs while maintaining price exposure. “FundBridge’s priority is to bridge traditional fund governance with emerging digital infrastructure,” CEO Sue Lynn Lim said in a statement. “We’ve worked closely with our partners to ensure the framework meets the standards of a regulated fund environment while advancing the use of real-world assets on-chain.”
The fund, named MG 999, is available exclusively to institutional and accredited participants. Unlike traditional gold funds, MG 999 does not hold physical bullion. The tokens are engineered to mirror gold’s market performance, offering a synthetic exposure mechanism, according to FundBridge.
The launch extends a trend among established financial institutions to tokenize real-world assets, including bonds, funds, treasuries and precious metals, as blockchain technology expands beyond cryptocurrencies.
SC Ventures has been expanding its digital-assets operations in Asia. The bank holds majority stakes in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets, both focused on institutional digital-asset services.
The launch coincides with increased global gold demand. Central banks have been increasing their bullion reserves this year amid concerns about the long-term dominance of the US dollar and geopolitical uncertainty. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have contributed to demand for safe-haven assets, according to market analysts.
Last month, Standard Chartered joined other financial institutions in launching a physically backed gold fund in Singapore, with the bank acting as custodian for bullion stored at the Le Freeport vault near Changi Airport. That product targets investors seeking exposure to allocated metal rather than tokenized units.
MG 999 includes a lending component aimed at Singapore’s jewelry sector. Mustafa Gold, a major retailer in the city-state, has been named the fund’s first borrower. The structure allows Mustafa to secure credit against its gold jewelry inventory while keeping the pieces on display.
“Gold-linked tokens are quite unique and complex,” said Mustafa founder Mustaq Ahmad. “MG 999 lets retailers tap digital innovation and better manage working-capital needs.”