Standard Chartered expands into tokenised gold with Libeara in Singapore

Libeara developed the fund with FundBridge Capital for Singapore’s market.
Standard Chartered is expanding digital-asset activity through SC Ventures.
A separate physically backed gold fund was recently launched in Singapore.

Institutional investors in Singapore are being offered a new digital route into gold exposure as Standard Chartered broadens its presence in tokenised assets through Libeara’s MG 999 fund.

The product arrives during a period of rising demand for safe-haven assets, shaped by geopolitical tension, shifting currency expectations, and tariff moves under President Donald Trump.

The fund blends a synthetic link to gold prices with a lending feature designed for jewellery retailers in the city-state.

With interest in real-world asset tokenisation growing across global markets, MG 999 reflects how traditional financial groups are testing new digital structures without altering core investment themes.

The approach broadens investor access while encouraging further experimentation across evolving digital asset markets globally.

Tokenised access

Libeara developed the MG 999 fund with FundBridge Capital to give professional investors exposure to gold in the form of blockchain-based tokens.

Each token is designed to track the spot price of gold on Libeara’s ledger.

The fund removes the need for vaulting or transport but still aims to reflect market performance, creating a synthetic alternative to physical bullion.

FundBridge has described the structure as a way to connect regulated fund design with digital systems while keeping governance at the level expected for institutional products.

Institutional shift

The fund is open only to institutional and accredited investors. MG 999 is different from physical gold funds because it does not store metal.

Instead, it uses a token mechanism engineered to mirror market movement.

Standard Chartered’s involvement fits into broader expansion in Asia through SC Ventures, which also holds majority stakes in Zodia Custody and Zodia Markets.

These platforms focus on institutional digital-asset access, strengthening the bank’s position in real-world asset tokenisation as the sector gains momentum across treasuries, bonds, funds, and commodities.

Global demand conditions

The launch comes at a time when central banks have been increasing gold reserves. Market watchers have linked this trend to concerns about the long-term role of the US dollar and a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty.

Experts have also cited Trump’s tariff policies as a driver of interest in safe-haven assets.

Last month, Standard Chartered joined other firms in launching a physically backed gold product in Singapore.

In that fund, the bank acts as custodian for bullion stored at the Le Freeport facility near Changi Airport. That offering targets investors wanting allocated metal rather than tokenised exposure.

Jewellery market lending

MG 999 also includes a lending element tied to Singapore’s jewellery sector.

Mustafa Gold has been named as the first borrower. The structure lets the retailer use its jewellery inventory as collateral while keeping the pieces available for customers.

Libeara and FundBridge say this design shows how tokenisation can connect investment products with working-capital needs in traditional retail markets, expanding digital use cases beyond asset tracking alone.