Metzler establishes Digital Assets Office

Metzler will launch a centralized cross-divisional department that will focus exclusively on blockchain technology and the digital assets ecosystem on July 1, 2022. The so-called "Digital Assets Office" under the leadership of Executive Board Member Mario Mattera will be responsible for handling all strategic issues related to digital assets. Metzler has identified blockchain technology as a strategic topic for the future and plans to implement blockchain solutions for its clients in the long term.

"With blockchain, we are at the beginning of a technological paradigm shift. The technology will make many processes in the securities business faster, safer and more cost-effective, to the benefit of our clients. We want to make strategic use of the legislative lead we have in Germany thanks to the legislation on e-securities and the Fund Jurisdiction Act," says Mario Mattera. Following the first successful pilot projects in 2021 with DekaBank, Metzler is now officially laying the foundation for the implementation of future blockchain-based processes and services with the Digital Assets Office as a competence center.

The central points of contact for all questions and topics relating to blockchain will be Hendrik König, previously equity strategist at Metzler Capital Markets, and Shahrok Shedari, previously innovation manager at Metzler DigitalManufaktur. They will reallocate to the Digital Assets Office on July 1, 2022. "We place particular emphasis on close integration and cooperation with all business units as well as knowledge transfer and client-oriented solutions," says Hendrik König. All of the bank's business areas are expected to benefit from the Digital Assets Office. "Metzler is well positioned, not least as a trusted partner, to build a bridge from the old to the new world with digital assets," adds Shahrok Shedari.

In 2021 Metzler, together with DekaBank, carried out its first projects on the blockchain on the SWIAT platform. Securities lending was processed in real time, and Metzler also purchased the first crypto bearer bonds issued by DekaBank according to eWpG.