The application of DLT in financial services: Benefits and use cases

Abstract

This chapter articulates the appeal Bitcoin holds for many retail investors across the world and positions it within the context of the monetary policy choices made by many of the world’s central banks over the last two decades. The chapter then goes on to provide an overview of the alternative models for financial services that can be offered through the sale or issue of digital or cryptoassets and assesses the possibilities to which a broader application of distributed ledgers gives rise. These include a widening of access to financial services, more efficient settlement systems, greater transparency in financial dealings and ownership, globalising access to investments and improved information sharing amongst others.