Why We Do This and How Candidates Are Selected
The Future of Finance Awards recognise firms that are materially advancing how global finance is built, transacted, and governed, with a particular focus on digital assets and tokenised market infrastructure. By spotlighting high-impact innovation, the awards aim to accelerate adoption of safer, more efficient, and more transparent financial systems.
Candidates are identified through a rigorous quantitative analysis of publicly verifiable achievements, including transactions, pilot tests, new issues, investments, and acquisitions. The process is fully editorial and research-led, with no submissions, and an independent panel of experts ensures the highest integrity and independence of every selection.
2026 Awards Categories & Nominees
Best All-Round
Deutsche Börse • DTCC • J.P. Morgan
Most Ground Breaking Innovation
DTCC • NasdaqBest Traditional Bank
DBS Bank • HSBC • J.P. Morgan • MUFG Bank • Standard Chartered BankBest Custodian Bank Globally
Anchorage Digital • Citibank N.A. • DBS Bank • DekaBank • Standard Chartered Bank • State Street • Sygnum Bank
Best Custodian Bank in Europe
AMINA Bank • Standard Chartered Bank • Sygnum Bank
Best Custodian Bank in Asia
DBS Bank • Standard Chartered Bank
Best Custodian Bank in North America
Anchorage Digital Bank • BNY Mellon • Citibank N.A. • State StreetBest Custodian Non-Bank Globally
BitGo Trust Company • Coinbase Custody • Crypto Finance Group • Hex Trust • Zodia CustodyBest Custodian Non-Bank in Europe
Amdax • Copper.co • Crypto Finance Group • Komainu Custody • Tangany • Zodia Custody
Best Custodian Non-Bank in Asia
Cobo Custody • Hex Trust • KDAC • Matrixport • Rakkar Digital
Best Custodian Non-Bank in North America
BitGo Trust Company • Coinbase Custody • Fidelity Digital Assets • Gemini Trust Company
Most Innovative Custodian
BitGo Trust Company • Fireblocks • Komainu Custody • Ledger • Standard Chartered Bank • Zodia Custody
Best Digital Asset Custody Technology Provider
DFNS • Fireblocks • GK8 • Ledger • Ripple Labs • Taurus SA
Best Custodian for Staking
BitGo Trust Company • Fireblocks • Hex Trust • Komainu Custody • Ledger • Zodia Custody
Best Service Provider for Staking
Bitwise Asset Management • Blockdaemon • Figment • Kiln • Twinstake
Best Custodian for Stablecoin Coverage
Fireblocks • Gemini Trust Company • Hex Trust • Ledger • Matrixport • Zodia Custody
Best Service Provider for Stablecoin Coverage
Euro Coin (EURC) • Paxos USD (USDP) • PayPal USD (PYUSD) • Tether (USDT) • USD Coin (USDC)
Best Off-Exchange Settlement Platform
BitGo Trust Company • Copper.co • Komainu Custody • Standard Chartered Bank • Zodia Custody
Best Digital Asset Exchange Globally
21X Exchange • DBS Digital Exchange • Luxembourg Stock Exchange • Nasdaq • SIX Digital Exchange (SDX)
Best Digital Asset Exchange in Europe
21X Exchange • 360X Exchange • Archax • Luxembourg Stock Exchange
Best Digital Asset Exchange in Asia
DBS Digital Exchange • DigiFT • Osaka Digital Exchange (ODX) • SIX Digital Exchange (SDX)
Best Digital Asset Exchange in North America
INX Digital Company • Nasdaq • Securitize • tZero
Most Innovative Digital Asset Exchange
21X Exchange • BX Digital • Deutsche Börse • London Stock Exchange Group • Nasdaq
Best Primary Market Digital Asset Exchange
21X Exchange • Osaka Digital Exchange (ODE)
Best Secondary Market Digital Asset Exchange
BondBlox • BX Digital • Osaka Digital Exchange (ODX) • SIX Digital Exchange (SDX)
Best Emerging Digital Asset Exchange
Axiology • BPX Digital Exchange • BX Digital • LISE (Luxembourg Infrastructure for Securities Exchange) • London Stock Exchange Group
Best Real Estate Digital Asset Platform
BPX Digital Exchange • DigiShares
Best Tokenised Listed Equities Platform
Backed Assets (Kraken) • Dinari • Ondo Finance • Robinhood Markets
Best DLT/TSS Trading Facility
21X Exchange • 360X Exchange • BX Digital
Best Settlement and Cash Management Solution
21X Exchange • BX Digital
Best Digital Asset Exchange Technology Vendor
Alphapoint • Fireblocks • Nasdaq • R3 • Talos • Taurus SA
Best Digital Asset Surveillance Services Provider
Checkpoint • Nasdaq
Best Non-Bank Stablecoin Issuer
Circle Internet Financial • Paxos Trust Company • PayPal
Best Bank Stablecoin Issuer
Anchorage Digital Bank • Banking Circle • Ripple Labs (Standard Chartered partnership) • Société Générale – Forge
Best Regulated Stablecoin Issuer under GENIUS ACT
Anchorage Digital Bank • BitGo Trust Company • Stripe
Best Regulated Stablecoin Issuer under MiCAR
AllUnity • Circle Internet Financial (EU entity) • Monerium • Paxos Trust Company • Société Générale (EUR CoinVertible – EURCV)Best Stablecoin Reserve Quality and Liquidity
Circle Internet Financial • Paxos Trust CompanyBest Stablecoin Risk Management Program
Anchorage Digital Bank • Circle Internet Financial • Paxos Trust Company
Best Institutional Adoption of Stablecoins
Franklin Templeton • Hamilton Lane • Maybank Asset Management • PayPal • Visa • Western Union
Most Innovative Retail Stablecoin Payment Use Case
Custodia Bank and Vantage Bank (Avit platform) • PayPal USD • Stripe Open Issuance • Western Union and Anchorage Digital BankBest Stablecoin Enterprise Payments Use Case
EY & PayPal USD • Siemens (tokenised payments) • Visa • Circle Internet Financial
Best Chain for Regulated Stablecoin Activity
Avalanche • BNB Smart Chain (formerly Binance Smart Chain) • Ethereum • Polygon • Solana • Stellar
Best Live Tokenised Deposit Issuer
DBS Bank • HSBC (Ant Group partnership) • J.P. Morgan (JPMD) • J.P. Morgan & DBS Bank (joint initiative) • Lloyds Bank
Best Pilot Tokenised Deposit Programme Issuer
Global Blockchain Tokenised Deposits (UK RLN2) • HKMA (Hong Kong Ensemble Project)Best Digital Payment Network
Mastercard • PayPal • Ripple Labs • Stripe • VisaBest Digital Asset Fund Issuer Globally
BlackRock • Franklin Templeton • OpenEden • UBS • WisdomTreeBest Digital Asset Fund Issuer in Europe
abrdn • Amundi • Franklin Templeton • UBSBest Digital Asset Fund Issuer in Asia
BNP Paribas Securities Services (Maybank partnership) • China Asset Management • Franklin Templeton • MUFG • UBSBest Digital Asset Fund Issuer in North America
Franklin Templeton • JPMorgan Asset Management • Securitize • WisdomTreeBest Digital Asset Private Equity Fund Issuer
Apollo Global Management • Hamilton Lane • InvestcorpBest Digital Fund Market Infrastructure Globally
Allfunds • Calastone • Fundnode • FundsDLTBest Digital Fund Market Infrastructure in Europe
Allfunds • Calastone • FundsDLT • iZNESBest Digital Fund Administrator Globally
Apex Group • BNY Mellon • NAV Fund ServicesBest Digital Fund Administrator in Europe
Alchemy (formerly Alchelyst) • Aztec Group • CACEIS • IQ-EQBest Digital Fund Administrator in North America
Apex Group • BNY Mellon • NAV Fund Services • SecuritizeBest Tokenised Transfer Agent
BitGo Trust Company • Chainlink Labs • FundsDLT • Standard Chartered Bank • WisdomTree Transfers (formerly Securrency)Best Market Infrastructure in Europe
Clearstream • Euroclear • EurexBest Market Infrastrucutre in North America
TBCBest Digital Asset Registrar
Cashlink Technologies • DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale • Société Générale – Forge • Smart Registry • WeltixBest Tokenised Bond Issuer
European Investment Bank • KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government • SiemensMost Innovative Tokenised Equity Issuance
DTCC • Galaxy DigitalBest Live Collateral Management Solution
Eurex • HQLAx • J.P. Morgan
Best Pilot Collateral Management Project
Clearstream D7 • Commodity Futures Trading Commission (U.S.) • DTCC • Global Digital Finance (30-firm European consortium) • Lloyds BankBest Live Repo Management Solution
Broadridge Distributed Ledger Repo (DLR) • Kinexys by JPMorganBest Pilot Repo Management Project
ABN AMRO • BNP Paribas • Eurex • Société Générale – ForgeBest Digital Asset Tokenisation Platform
TBC
Best Newcomer in Digital Asset Tokenisation Platforms
TBCBest Oracle Provider
API3 • Chainlink Labs • Pyth Network • RedStone • UMA • XYO NetworkBest On-Chain Monitoring and Threat Detection Solution
Chainalysis • Coin Metrics • Dune Analytics • Glassnode • NansenBest Digital Asset Security Solution
TBCBest Cross-Chain Infrastructure Solution
Celer cBridge • deBridge Protocol • Eco Portal • Stargate Finance • WormholeBest DeFi Access Infrastructure Provider
BitGo Narval • Blockdaemon • Fireblocks DeFi Platform • Ledger Connect • MetaMaskBest KYC, KYB and Digital Identity Solution
TBC
Best Financial Services Infrastructure Solution
Bitpanda Technology Solutions • Blockdaemon • Fireblocks • Hedera Hashgraph • IBM Hyperledger Fabric • Taurus SABest Blockchain for Mainstream Financial Services
Canton Network • Hyperledger Besu • R3 Corda
Best Digital Asset Law Firm Globally
Baker McKenzie • Clifford Chance • CMS • DLA Piper • Latham & Watkins • Norton Rose Fulbright • Reed Smith
Best Digital Asset Law Firm In Europe
TBC
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