Barclays backs Ubyx to advance tokenised money infrastructure

By Vriti Gothi

Barclays has invested in Ubyx Inc., a US-based provider of clearing infrastructure for tokenised deposits and regulated stablecoins, as financial institutions continue to explore scalable models for digital money within the regulatory perimeter.

Ubyx is developing a global clearing and acceptance network designed to enable interoperability between different forms of regulated digital money, including bank-issued tokenised deposits and stablecoins. The investment reflects growing recognition among banks that fragmented blockchain ecosystems and wallet infrastructures remain a key barrier to institutional adoption.

As tokenisation gains traction beyond crypto-native use cases, interoperability has emerged as a critical requirement. Financial institutions are increasingly seeking infrastructure that allows digital money to move seamlessly across blockchains, wallets and counterparties while maintaining regulatory compliance, settlement certainty and par-value redemption.

“Interoperability is essential to unlock the full potential of digital assets,” said Ryan Hayward, Head of Digital Assets and Strategic Investments at Barclays. “As the landscape of tokens, blockchains and wallets evolves, specialist technology will play a pivotal role in delivering connectivity and infrastructure to enable regulated financial institutions to interact seamlessly.”

The investment aligns with Barclays’ broader digital assets strategy, which has focused on enabling regulated innovation rather than speculative activity. By supporting infrastructure providers such as Ubyx, the bank is positioning itself to participate in emerging digital money ecosystems while mitigating operational and regulatory risk.

Ubyx’s model centres on creating a common acceptance layer for regulated digital money, with banks playing a foundational role. According to the company, bank participation is essential to ensure par-value redemption and trust, particularly as digital wallets become a standard offering alongside traditional bank accounts.

“Our mission is to build a common globalised acceptance network for regulated digital money, including tokenised deposits and regulated stablecoins,” said Tony McLaughlin, CEO of Ubyx. “Bank participation is vital to provide par value redemption through regulated channels. We are entering a world in which every regulated firm offers digital wallets in addition to traditional bank accounts.”

The investment comes amid increasing regulatory clarity around stablecoins and tokenised money in several major jurisdictions, alongside early signs of adoption in areas such as payments, settlement and treasury management. As central banks, commercial banks and FinTech firms experiment with different digital money models, infrastructure that enables coexistence and interoperability is expected to play a decisive role.