Blockchain in the Capital Markets: A Smart Distributed Future

This report looks at use cases and implications of Blockchain 2.0. It brings clarity to a rapidly moving space across cryptocurrency, smart contracts, and distributed ledgers in the global capital markets.

The threat of competitive disintermediation of capital market players and the potential power of a blockchain or distributed ledger future have Wall Street’s best and brightest considering a myriad of use cases. Major capital market participants are aligning with competitors, traditional technology providers, and Fintech disruptors to create a new vision of the issuance, trading, and operations across asset classes and geographies.

“Blockchain went from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, rocketing into the collective consciousness of capital market participants. 2016 is the do or die moment for use cases in our space,” says Brad Bailey, a research director with Celent’s Securities and Investments practice and author of the report. “Market participants recognize that legacy technology and architecture must change, and that business models developed for a less restrictive regime in the capital markets must adapt.”