Readings

Author
Vladimir Tarantaev, CFA, PMP
Vladimir Tarantaev, a CFA expert in fixed income, has a strong track record in credit analysis at CIS banks and a diverse background in math-physics and astronomy.
Vladimir Tarantaev
Back
20.08.2025
Is It Time for Retail Investors to Explore Digital Bonds?
Is It Time for Retail Investors to Explore Digital Bonds?
25

Digital bonds are quietly rewriting the rules of debt markets. From Switzerland to Singapore, tokenized bonds are no longer a pilot project. Big names are issuing bonds on blockchain networks, attracting institutional and even retail investors. With volumes rivaling last year’s record totals, the question isn’t whether digital bonds are viable—it’s how fast they’ll change the way the world invests.

The market for blockchain-based digital bonds has continued to expand in 2025, with several high-profile deals confirming that the theme remains firmly on investors’ radar.

Germany’s NRW.BANK issued a €100 million bond on the Polygon blockchain, Switzerland’s City of Lugano placed its fourth digital bond worth CHF 100 million, and SIX Group followed with a CHF 250 million issue. In Asia, Singapore’s “Project Guardian” stood out with a landmark US$1.5 billion government bond offering, which allowed fractional subscriptions and attracted a surge in retail participation.

This follows a strong 2024, when digital bond issuance reached about €3 billion—up 260% from €848 million in 2023, according to AFME. So far in 2025, the largest deals already total nearly €2 billion, suggesting this year could match or surpass last year’s record.

Global Distributed Ledget Technology (DLT) Fixed Income Issuance by Instrument

What is changing, however, is not just the size of the market but also its structure. The past two years have seen a shift from small-scale pilots to regulated, large-volume placements by municipalities, development banks, and governments.

Investor interest is also widening. Early tokenized bonds were mostly bought by institutions, but Singapore’s offering shows that blockchain-based bonds can now appeal to retail investors. For issuers, digital formats promise faster settlement, lower costs, and wider distribution.

Overall, the 2025 issuance shows that digital bonds are no longer just experiments. While challenges in regulation and infrastructure remain, the growing volumes and participation of both governments and retail investors indicate that tokenized bonds are moving from proof-of-concept into a durable feature of global debt markets.

Author
Vladimir Tarantaev, CFA, PMP
Vladimir Tarantaev, a CFA expert in fixed income, has a strong track record in credit analysis at CIS banks and a diverse background in math-physics and astronomy.
Vladimir Tarantaev
This article does not constitute investment advice or personal recommendation. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bondfish does not recommend using the data and information provided as the only basis for making any investment decision. You should not make any investment decisions without first conducting your own research and considering your own financial situation.
Translate
Warning! The translation is automatic and may contain errors.