Ant International, HSBC and Swift have successfully tested cross-border transfers of tokenised deposits using an international financial messaging standard, in a move that could streamline global blockchain-based payments and corporate treasury management. The milestone, announced on Thursday, marked the first case leveraging the Swift network and ISO 20022 as a messaging standard in cross-border payments using tokenised deposits. The standard is a universal language for exchanging electronic data in fi ...

Core Insights - Ant International, HSBC, and Swift have successfully completed a Proof of Concept (POC) for cross-border transfer of tokenised deposits using ISO 20022 standards [1] - The initiative utilizes Swift's global messaging network, HSBC's Tokenised Deposit Service, and Ant International's blockchain technology [1] - This POC represents a significant milestone in the collaboration between these companies to enhance the benefits of tokenisation for businesses [1] Company Summaries - Ant International is leveraging its blockchain technology in collaboration with HSBC and Swift to facilitate cross-border transactions [1] - HSBC has launched a Tokenised Deposit Service that plays a crucial role in this POC, indicating its commitment to innovation in financial services [1] - Swift's global messaging network is integral to the success of this initiative, showcasing its importance in the evolving landscape of financial transactions [1]

Financial Performance - HSBC's 1H25 revenue reached $34.1 billion, or $35.4 billion excluding notable items, showing a year-over-year increase of 6%[5] - The company's 1H25 profit before tax (PBT) was $15.8 billion, or $18.9 billion excluding notable items, up 5% year-over-year[5] - HSBC announced a share buyback program of up to $3 billion[6, 31] - The company's RoTE excl notable items was 18.2% YTD annualised, an increase of 1.2 percentage points year-over-year[6, 30] - HSBC's revenue excluding notable items for 2Q25 was $17.7 billion, a 5% year-over-year increase[5, 30] Balance Sheet and Capital - HSBC has a strong deposit base of $1.7 trillion, with a quarter-over-quarter increase of $15 billion or 1% (including held-for-sale balances)[13] - The CET1 ratio stood at 14.6%[29, 31] - Customer loans reached $992 billion, with 95% rated strong, good, or satisfactory[13] Strategic Initiatives and Outlook - HSBC is targeting ~$1.5 billion in cost saves by the end of 2026[14] - The company is aiming for a mid-teens RoTE for 2025, 2026, and 2027, excluding notable items[12, 24] - HSBC is reiterating its FY25 Banking NII guidance of approximately $42 billion[9]