Swiss-based Taurus provides blockchain and tokenization services, including digital asset custody technology to banks such as Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank and Pictet. Additionally, Taurus operates a FINMA-regulated exchange for digital assets and private tokenized securities, TDX. Until now, TDX was only open to professional investors, but FINMA has expanded the authorization to retail investors.
Last year Taurus raised a $65 million Series B funding round led by Credit Suisse and including Deutsche Bank, Pictet, Arab Bank Switzerland and Investis.
Separately, Taurus announced new issuers who will use TDX as a trading venue, including Investis Group, la Mobilière, Qoqa, SCCF, Swissroc, and Teylor. La Mobilière is one of Switzerland’s largest domestic insurers and is running an internal trial of a digital art project using NFTs that can be traded via TDX.
Opening the exchange to retail investors allows consumers who invested in the primary issuances of tokenized securities to be able to sell them. It should also expand the potential market for securities, improving liquidity for both retail and professional investors.
“We’ve successfully executed multiple end-to-end trade finance operations for renewable energy commencing with issuances through Taurus and culminating in transaction settlements on their TDX marketplace,” said Dimitri Rusca, Founder and CEO of SCCF Structured Commodity & Corporate Finance. “The tokenization of debt securities empowers us to streamline and digitize the financing of loans and procurement of commodities, enhancing efficiency.”
Other jurisdictions support the trading of tokenized securities on secondary markets. However, in many cases access is restricted to accredited investors.
