Germany creates bridge between blockchain and euro

FILE PHOTO: 20 Euro banknotes are displayed is this picture illustration taken November 14, 2017. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/Illustration/File Photo

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German authorities have developed technology allowing investors to buy and sell securities on the blockchain in return for central bank money, bridging a gap between two worlds that once seemed irreconcilable.

Private and public institutions around the world have been experimenting with using distributed ledger technology (DLT), best known for powering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, for settling trades in official money.