DBS brings gold on-chain, opening physical bullion to everyday investors

DBS launches Singapore's first tokenised physical gold offering

DBS announced on 11 June 2026 that it will offer tokenised physical gold to customers in Singapore. The bank described it as the first offering in the country that lets customers digitally access, hold and trade tokenised physical gold through a single platform. DBS will tokenise, issue, distribute and manage the gold tokens entirely in-house, using its own bank-grade infrastructure.

Each token represents one gram of vaulted gold

Each DBS Physical Gold Token is backed by one gram of physical gold, worth about SGD 200 as of 11 June 2026. The bank holds the bullion in a dedicated vault in Singapore. Fractional ownership lets customers buy and hold small amounts of gold, and they can redeem the tokens for the physical metal. Atomic settlement supports near-instant transactions, and the tokens trade on a 24/7 basis.

Retail clients gain access through digibank this year

For retail customers, DBS plans to make the tokens available through DBS digibank in the second half of 2026. The bank is also exploring a listing on the DBS Digital Exchange (DDEx), tailored for accredited investors and institutional partners. DBS said more details will follow in due course.

Tokenised gold draws steady investor demand

Tokenised gold has gained traction as real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation expands. PAX Gold (PAXG), a token backed by one troy ounce of bullion, traded at about USD 4,333 with a market capitalisation near USD 1.98 billion (CoinPaprika, 17 June 2026). DBS cited wider momentum in the sector, noting that the total value of tokenised real-world assets on-chain rose from about USD 21 billion at the start of the year to around USD 27.5 billion by the end of the first quarter. The bank also pointed to structural demand for the metal, saying gold reached a record USD 5,600 per ounce earlier this year. It framed the launch as a response to barriers that have kept physical gold out of reach for many retail investors.

DBS extends its in-house digital asset push

DBS has sold physical gold investments to wealth clients since 2013 and now uses tokenisation to widen access. The move builds on earlier steps in the bank's digital asset programme. In 2025, DBS tokenised structured notes on a public blockchain and offered them to eligible investors on third-party platforms. It also listed a tokenised money market fund alongside a US dollar stablecoin, letting eligible clients shift into a relatively stable asset within minutes.

"DBS has offered physical gold investments to wealth clients since 2013, and we are now leveraging tokenisation to broaden access, enabling more retail customers to invest in gold in a safe and meaningful way.", 11 June 2026. — James Tan, Group Head, Investment Product and Advisory, DBS

Li Zhen, who leads foreign exchange, precious metals and digital assets in DBS Global Financial Markets, tied the offering to the bank's own infrastructure.

"Our ability to deliver DBS Physical Gold Token is built on DBS' fully in-sourced, end-to-end institutional capability – physical vaulting, tokenisation engine, digital custody and digitised distribution.", 11 June 2026. — Li Zhen, Head of Foreign Exchange, Precious Metals and Digital Assets, Global Financial Markets, DBS

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