Standard Chartered CEO: All Money Will Be Digital, and Every Transaction Will Settle on Blockchain

Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters predicted that the world’s financial system is heading toward a future where every transaction is settled on blockchain networks and all forms of money become digital.

Speaking during a panel at Hong Kong FinTech Week, Winters said the coming shift represents a “fundamental restructuring of the global financial system.” He noted, however, that the path toward that transformation remains uncertain. “We don’t yet know exactly how this will happen,” Winters said, urging the financial industry to keep experimenting and adapting to the rapid evolution of blockchain technologies.

Industry Leaders See Inevitable Tokenization

Winters shared the stage with HSBC CEO Georges Elhedery, who expressed confidence in Hong Kong’s role as a driving force in financial technology. Winters praised the city’s regulators for their progressive digital asset frameworks and openness to innovation.

His remarks echo a growing consensus among top financial executives. Leaders from BlackRock and Robinhood have recently made similar forecasts, predicting that tokenized assets and blockchain-based settlements will underpin much of global finance in the coming decade.

Standard Chartered Expands Its Blockchain Footprint

Standard Chartered has been actively advancing its blockchain and digital asset strategy. In February 2025, the bank formed a joint venture with Animoca Brands and HKT to seek a license for issuing an HKD-backed stablecoin, combining the bank’s financial expertise with Animoca’s Web3 know-how and HKT’s mobile payment infrastructure.