- The Colombian regulator reported that the pilot test for the issuance of digital bonds in the capital market yielded very positive results.
- The South American country is thus placed at the head of this type of financial operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- These results will help streamline the regulatory process of the crypto market in Colombia.
Colombia is ready to start issuing crypto bonds after the successful pilot test was completed this week, according to the regulator of the South American country. The operation was carried out in the controlled space (Sandbox), which is directed by the Financial Superintendence of Colombia (SFC).
The test carried out on Tuesday, August 23, was successful, the regulator reported through its Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) account. The purpose was to observe the impact of blockchain technology on the capital market throughout the trading process.
"The entire process was carried out in an agile and secure manner with blockchain through smart contracts, a non-fungible token and encryption algorithms, providing immutability of the information and the possibility that the participants could audit it in real time," the agency said in a press release. During the pilot test, aspects such as “operational costs, times, traceability, documentation, and asymmetries of information towards the participants, among others” involved in these operations were observed.
The Financial Superintendence highlighted that it is the first operation of this type in Latin America and the Caribbean in which blockchain technology is used for the registration, issuance, custody, negotiation, registration of payments, fulfillment, and cancellation of the bond.
The results of the test constitute a guarantee for the advancement of the regulation of the cryptocurrency market and other digital assets in Colombia. The Colombian regulator together with the crypto exchange Binance, the Central Bank (Banco de la República), and several financial entities, including Davivienda, have been working on these pilot tests since last year.
The Financial Superintendence explained that the first bond issue was "subscribed by Banco Davivienda for $110 million and acquired by IDB Invest through a transaction carried out in the LACChain blockchain network." The entire process was monitored by the regulator and the central bank, through observation nodes. The IDB Group (Inter-American Development Bank and its subsidiaries IDB Invest and IDB Labs) also participated in the pilot test, providing logistical and regulatory support.
On the Flipside
- The new Colombian government headed by former guerrilla Gustavo Petro has confirmed plans to launch a CBDC. It is unclear if the central bank’s new currency will be a version of the Colombian peso.
Why You Should Care
- The positive results of the pilot test of the bond constitute a firm basis for the regulatory process of the crypto market in Colombia.
- In addition, it will help determine how ready the Colombian stock market and trading platforms are to start trading digital assets.
"This experience also contributes to the diagnosis of the current regulation applicable to this class of processes and, together with the lessons learned, they are an input for public policy that will allow the stock market to be potentiated," the regulator concluded. Blockchain technology has various applications and is rapidly being implemented in world trade. The most notable antecedents of successful bond issuance include the launch of the Bond-i platform through the Ethereum network by the World Bank.
Likewise, the CommBank bond issued in August 2018, whose collection exceeded AUD110 MM in two years of operation. Also the Santander (BME:SAN) Bank bond for USD 20 million using blockchain technology, launched in September 2019 and, more recently, the European Investment Bank that issued a digital bond for 100 million euros.