– Positive tests lay the foundation for wallet-based trading of tokenized financial instruments –
Frankfurt, Germany – 30 September 2025: 21X, the operator of the first EU-regulated on-chain trading and settlement system, and DekaBank, the securities services provider of the German Savings Banks Finance Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe), today announced the successful completion of an on-chain trade on the Polygon testnet. This marks a critical step forward in their collaboration to integrate and expand tokenized asset capabilities for their clients.
The successful transaction demonstrated the technical feasibility of a joint system that leverages 21X’s blockchain-based infrastructure and DekaBank’s custody solution. This phase focused on a secondary market trade of tokenized assets via smart contracts, proving the end-to-end functionality of the platform for a more efficient and secure transaction workflow.
This announcement follows the recent launch of the 21X secondary market, which has established a new benchmark for on-chain trading and settlement of financial instruments. The partnership with DekaBank is a further step in the growth of the 21X ecosystem, aiming to bring the benefits of tokenization to a wider institutional audience.
Going forward, 21X and DekaBank plan to extend the project scope. As a depositary bank and licensed crypto securities registrar under the German eWpG (Gesetz über elektronische Wertpapiere), DekaBank plans to extend its services further for issuers and investors on 21X.
“The completion of these transactions with DekaBank is a testament to our shared vision for the future of capital markets.”
said Max J. Heinzle, CEO of 21X.
“DekaBank is a pioneer in the German market, and this partnership is a significant step in our mission to onboard leading financial institutions onto our regulated platform. This collaboration, in conjunction with the recent launch of our secondary market, reinforces the momentum behind the 21X ecosystem.”
Thorben Lüthge, Head of Markets at DekaBank, points out: “Our partnership with 21X supports the development of deep and liquid secondary markets for digital assets, enabling scalability. We look forward to this collaboration and to unlocking the full potential of digital assets for our clients.”
He added:
“This is an important step that allows us to build on our broader digital asset services for savings banks and other institutional clients and reinforces our commitment to shaping tomorrow’s financial markets together with our partners.”
This partnership represents a significant step by both companies to work together to offer a more efficient and inclusive capital market ecosystem. By leveraging distributed ledger technology (DLT) and fostering collaboration, 21X and DekaBank unlock new opportunities for investors, issuers, and intermediaries across the globe.
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About DekaBank
Deka Group, consisting of DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale and its subsidiaries, is the securities services provider of the German Savings Banks Finance Group (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe). With total customer assets under management of 427 billion euros (as at 30.06.2025) and 5.9 million securities accounts, it is one of the largest securities service providers and real estate asset managers in Germany. Deka Group offers investment solutions and services for private and institutional investors and aligns its products with the requirements of its owners, the savings banks.
About 21X
21X is a Frankfurt-based financial institution at the forefront of revolutionizing capital markets through the use of blockchain technology. On 8th September 2025, 21X opened the first ever fully regulated distributed ledger technology trading and settlement system (DLT TSS) trading venue in the EU, positioning the company as a leader in the transition from traditional to tokenized asset-based capital markets.
21X enables atomic trading without counterparty or credit risk through smart contract-based issuance, trading and settlement of tokenized stocks, bonds, and funds.
See the short explainer video on 21X and our blockchain-based exchange here
For more information on 21X, contact:
Richie MacTaggart, head of PR & marketing
Mail: press@21X.eu
Mob: +44 7828173419
Web: https://www.21x.eu/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/21x/
