Traditional finance has just taken a big step towards blockchain technology. CMB International, the Hong Kong arm of China Merchants Bank, has launched a tokenized version of its $3.8 billion investment fund on BNB Chain. This is not a pilot or experiment, but a full-scale implementation of one of the largest traditional finance funds in the history of the blockchain industry.
The number one fund in the region goes to the blockchain
CMB International USD Money Market Fund is not just any financial product. According to the Bloomberg ranking from October 2025, it ranks first among all funds of this type in the Asia-Pacific region. Since its launch in 2024, the fund has seen steady growth – from USD 2.9 billion in April to USD 3.8 billion today. Now its shares are available in the form of blockchain-based tokens.
In practice, this means that instead of traditional securities, investors receive CMBMINT and CMBIMINT tokens – digital units recorded on the blockchain that represent shares in the fund. Transactions are settled in real time, without the many-day wait typical of traditional bank transfers.
Stable assets meet decentralized finance
The fund invests at least 70 percent of its net worth in short-term, stable assets denominated in USD. The portfolio includes bank deposits and money market instruments backed by countries in the US, Singapore, the European Union and China. This is a classic, conservative investment profile typical of banking institutions.
However, tokenization opens up completely new opportunities for this capital. The tokens will be integrated with DeFi protocols, including Venus Protocol and ListDAO. Investors will be able to use them as collateral in decentralized lending or in strategies to generate additional profit. It is a combination of the stability of traditional finance with the flexibility offered by blockchain technology.
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Infrastructure created by licensed entities
Behind the technical implementation is DigiFT, a platform with regulatory licenses in both Singapore (MAS) and Hong Kong (SFC). It is the first entity in Asia to obtain licenses in both of these key jurisdictions in the region. DigiFT is responsible for distributing the tokens and allows accredited investors to subscribe using both fiat and stablecoins.
The RWA infrastructure is provided by OnChain, which supports regulatory compliance and liquidity management on the blockchain. The whole thing operates within the strict regulations of Hong Kong financial regulators.
This is not the first tokenization of this fund
It is worth noting that CMB International does not rely on a single blockchain network. In August this year, the fund was tokenized once – then on the Solana blockchain, also via DigiFT. The current launch on BNB Chain is another step in the multi-chain strategy, which is intended to ensure the widest possible access to the offered product.
The choice of BNB Chain is strategic. The Binance blockchain offers low transaction costs and high throughput, which is crucial for potentially thousands of operations per day. At the same time, BNB Chain is building an increasingly larger ecosystem of tokenized real assets – it already cooperates with Franklin Templeton, Ondo, Securitize and OpenEden.
A signal for the entire industry
Adam Bai, director of asset management at CMB International, emphasized that the use of BNB Chain infrastructure allows the company to reach a broader global investor base in a safe and compliant manner.
The tokenization of a USD 3.8 billion fund by a renowned Chinese banking institution is a clear signal to the market. It is no longer a startup experimenting with technology, but a traditional player showing that blockchain can handle multi-billion regulated assets. If other banks take similar steps, we may witness a fundamental change in the way global financial markets operate.
The regulatory context is also worth noting – mainland Chinese authorities have reportedly asked Hong Kong brokerages to halt RWA projects. The fact that CMB International is continuing tokenization shows a certain independence in Hong Kong’s approach to the blockchain industry and the bank’s confidence in the future of this technology.
