Lloyds Bank Completes UK's First Tokenized Gilt Purchase 2026 via Blockchain

A glimpse into the future of finance is no longer a concept—it's a completed transaction. Lloyds Bank, the UK's third-largest lender, announced on January 7, 2026, that it's successfully executed the country's first purchase of a government gilt using tokenized deposits.

Breaking Down the Lloyds Bank Tokenized Gilt Purchase

The landmark transaction didn't happen in isolation. Lloyds teamed up with crypto powerhouse Archax and the privacy-centric Canton Network. The process began with Lloyds Bank plc issuing tokenized deposits on the Canton blockchain. These digital representations of fiat were then used by the bank's corporate markets arm to acquire a tokenized gilt from Archax, which subsequently moved the underlying funds back into a standard account.

Efficiency Without Sacrificing Security

Why move traditional bonds to a ledger? According to Surath Sengupta, head of transaction banking products at Lloyds, it’s all about speed and transparency. Tokenized deposits allow for instant settlement while remaining within the safety net of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This means institutions don't have to choose between the cutting-edge efficiency of blockchain and the regulatory protections of traditional banking.