The landscape of cross-border finance is poised for a significant evolution as UBS and Ant International join forces. The two companies have entered a strategic partnership to explore innovations in blockchain technology, specifically targeting real-time payment settlement and enhanced global liquidity management for corporate and institutional clients.
UBS and Ant International sign an MoU for a blockchain-based payments partnership.
The collaboration will leverage UBS's "UBS Digital Cash" tokenised deposit platform.
Ant International will integrate its proprietary "Whale" blockchain treasury solution.
The goal is to enable real-time, multi-currency fund flows for Ant's global operations.
The solution aims for greater efficiency, transparency, and security in cross-border payments.
It seeks to eliminate constraints of traditional payment cut-off times for better liquidity.
The partnership will see Ant International utilize UBS Digital Cash, a blockchain-based payment platform that was successfully piloted in 2024. This system is designed to support Ant International's global treasury operations with payments that offer enhanced efficiency and transparency. Concurrently, the companies will explore joint innovations in tokenised deposits, connecting UBS's platform with Ant's internal, next-generation blockchain-based treasury management solution, known as Whale.
The integrated solution is engineered to facilitate real-time fund movements between Ant International's various global entities. This capability provides a clear, transparent view of multi-currency flows and is unconstrained by the cut-off times inherent in traditional payment systems. The result is a significant step forward in global liquidity management, allowing for more dynamic and efficient use of corporate funds across borders.
Young Jin Yee, Co-Head UBS Global Wealth Management Asia Pacific and Country Head UBS Singapore, said: “This collaboration with Ant International builds on the momentum of our UBS Digital Cash pilot launch last year. By combining our expertise in digital assets with Ant’s advanced blockchain technology, we are working together to deliver a real-time, multi-currency payment solution that sets standards for transparency and efficiency.”
Kelvin Li, Global Manager of Platform Tech at Ant International, added: “We are pleased to partner with UBS, a leading global bank with a proven track record in blockchain innovation. We share a common belief in the potential of these technologies to transform cross-border payments and look forward to driving greater impact together through UBS’s global expertise and support.”
This strategic partnership between a global financial institution and a leading digital payments provider signals a strong commitment to maturing blockchain technology for enterprise-grade financial applications. By focusing on real-time settlement and liquidity management, UBS and Ant International are addressing core inefficiencies in the global financial system, paving the way for a more connected and fluid future for corporate cross-border payments.
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