KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Group Holdings Bhd
has received approval from Bank Negara to participate in the central bank’s Digital Asset Innovation Hub (DAIH), allowing the group to test regulated digital asset payment and settlement use cases within a supervised ecosystem.
In a statement, CIMB said its participation reinforces its commitment to advancing customers and society by driving innovation that strengthens Malaysia’s financial infrastructure and enhances the country’s global competitiveness.
The DAIH provides a structured platform for financial institutions to assess digital asset applications under defined safeguards, including governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.
CIMB said its participation reflects continued engagement with Bank Negara in supporting the development of a resilient and future-ready financial market infrastructure, including next-generation payment and settlement rails.
As part of the initiative, CIMB will explore the tokenisation of its own sukuk issuance and the use of tokenised deposit representations to support end-to-end payment and settlement workflows within approved testing parameters.
The bank said tokenised deposits are envisaged as a foundational settlement layer for tokenised instruments, enabling more integrated and automated issuance, transfer and settlement processes.
These initiatives build on CIMB’s earlier announcement outlining its strategic intent to apply tokenisation to improve efficiency, transparency and accessibility across capital markets, while remaining anchored within the regulated financial system.
More broadly, CIMB views tokenisation as an enabling layer for the future of payment and settlement infrastructure, allowing different forms of regulated digital value to interact securely and efficiently.
The group said it intends to modernise payments infrastructure to incorporate digital representations of value, including tokenised deposits and stablecoins, subject to regulatory alignment, risk considerations and suitability of use cases.
Through the DAIH, CIMB will holistically evaluate bank-grade tokenisation across issuance, payment, and settlement processes, with a focus on operational readiness, controls, and market infrastructure design.
Group chief executive officer Novan Amirudin said participation in Bank Negara’s DAIH allows the group to examine how tokenisation can support the next phase of payment and settlement infrastructure in a safe and regulated manner.
“Our focus is on building robust capabilities, controls, and operating readiness so that new forms of digital value can be integrated into the financial system responsibly.
“This is a foundational step in providing clients with trusted access to digital capital markets and settlement networks, consistent with our Forward30 strategy, translating innovation into real market outcomes that advance customers and society.”
