By Reuters | Updated: July 15, 2026
LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) – Britain aims to become the first major advanced economy to issue a digital sovereign bond by doing so by early next year, finance minister Rachel Reeves said in a speech on Tuesday.
- Britain’s “Digital Gilt Instrument” pilot was announced in 2024 and tests how distributed-ledger technology could make capital markets more efficient and reduce costs for financial institutions
- Reeves made the announcement in her annual Mansion House speech in the City of London financial district and said further issuance was planned after the initial sale
- Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey said at the same event that the BoE will work to ensure the digital gilt can be used as collateral in BoE market operations
- Britain’s finance ministry picked HSBC (HSBA.L) in February to run the blockchain platform which will be used by the tokenised bond
Reporting by David Milliken; editing by William James
© Thomson Reuters 2026
