Overview
- The Asian Development Bank pegs the global shortfall at $2.5 trillion for 2023, up from $1.7 trillion in 2020, with SMEs in emerging markets hardest hit.
- Legacy trade finance relies on manual checks, siloed data and paper records, stretching settlement cycles to 30–90 days.
- Production use-cases now tokenize invoices, letters of credit and receivables, enabling fractional ownership, programmable payouts and secondary-market liquidity, with settlements reported in hours.
- ISO 20022 integration lets blockchain platforms, including XDC Network, exchange standardized messages with SWIFT, RTGS and correspondent banks without replacing core systems.
- MLETR-style laws in Singapore, the UK, France, Bahrain and ADGM establish legal certainty for electronic trade documents, with the UK’s act forecasting £1.14 billion in economic gains over the next decade.