Ant International has expanded its collaboration with HSBC to strengthen real-time treasury management capabilities across the Middle East, marking another step in the growing adoption of tokenised banking infrastructure for corporate payments and liquidity management.
Under the expanded partnership, Ant International is using HSBC’s Tokenised Deposit Service to support faster treasury transactions across the region. The companies have already completed pilot transactions across payment corridors connecting the United Arab Emirates with international markets.
The pilots included real-time UAE dirham-denominated tokenised deposit transfers within the UAE, as well as US dollar-denominated cross-border transactions initiated from the UAE to markets including Hong Kong and Singapore. The transactions were initiated through WhaleRTP, Ant International’s blockchain-based treasury management platform, and processed in real time through HSBC’s tokenised deposit infrastructure.
The collaboration also makes Ant International the first HSBC client in the Middle East to use the bank’s Tokenised Deposit Service. For corporate treasury teams, the technology is designed to improve liquidity movement, cash visibility and access to funds across markets without being restricted to traditional settlement windows.
Ant International has been developing blockchain and tokenised deposit capabilities for treasury operations since 2019. Its WhaleRTP platform is supported by more than 20 global banks and currently enables real-time transfers across more than 17 currencies, including the US dollar, Hong Kong dollar and UAE dirham.
The Middle East expansion is expected to support Ant International’s growing regional presence and businesses including Alipay+, Antom and WorldFirst. The company also plans to develop the region as a potential global treasury hub as digital finance infrastructure continues to evolve.
HSBC’s Tokenised Deposit Service is already available in six markets, including the UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and the United States. It supports several major currencies and provides corporate clients with round-the-clock access to liquidity through HSBC’s banking network.
The partnership reflects the broader shift among banks and fintech companies toward tokenised deposits and blockchain-enabled settlement systems, particularly for cross-border treasury operations where speed, liquidity visibility and interoperability between financial infrastructures are becoming increasingly important.
