Unlocking $420bn in Tokenised Gold Assets for Institutional Markets
Challenge
High-value natural resource assets, particularly in-ground gold reserves, remain largely illiquid, inaccessible, and disconnected from modern capital markets.
Despite their intrinsic value, these assets are difficult to fractionalise, trade, or integrate into diversified investment portfolios. At the same time, institutional investors are seeking exposure to real-world assets (RWAs) that combine tangible value, transparency, and digital efficiency, but lack trusted infrastructure to bridge traditional finance (TradFi) and digital markets.
This fragmentation limits liquidity, restricts capital formation, and prevents large-scale resource-backed assets from participating fully in global financial ecosystems.
Solution
In collaboration with Iberia Gold Ltd., ZERO13, supported by its Seychelles-based custodian SECDEX Digital Custodian Limited (“SDC” OR “SECDEX”), enables the tokenisation, custody, and market access of over $420 billion in externally verified gold-backed assets.
At the core of the solution is the Iberia Gold Security Token (IGST) — a regulated digital security backed by in-ground and physical gold reserves, alongside other natural resources.
ZERO13 provides the institutional-grade infrastructure layer through the SECDEX ecosystem, acting as:
Regulated Digital Custodian
Marketplace & Trading Venue
Settlement & Post-Trade Provider
This enables gold-backed assets to move from static reserves to programmable, tradeable financial instruments, bridging TradFi and DeFi within a compliant environment.
Outcome
- $420bn+ in asset value digitised and accessible to qualified investors
- Enhanced liquidity for previously illiquid in-ground resource assets
- Institutional-grade trust through regulated custody, auditing, and governance
- TradFi–DeFi convergence via hybrid infrastructure and tokenised securities
- Scalable model for tokenising additional commodities and natural resources
This establishes a new benchmark for how real-world assets can be digitised, governed, and integrated into global capital markets.
How It Works
1. Asset Verification & Structuring
Iberia Gold aggregates and externally verifies in-ground and physical gold reserves, forming a high-value, audited asset base.
2. Tokenisation of Securities
These assets are structured into Iberia Gold Security Tokens (IGSTs), which are regulated digital securities representing fractional ownership and exposure.
3. Institutional Custody
Through ZERO13’s SECDEX Digital Custodian Limited, assets are securely held using institutional-grade infrastructure, ensuring compliance and asset protection.
4. Market Access & Trading
IGSTs are made available to accredited investors via regulated marketplaces, enabling trading, liquidity, and price discovery.
5. Settlement & Interoperability
ZERO13 facilitates efficient, transparent settlement and integrates these assets into broader digital financial ecosystems, supporting hybrid TradFi–DeFi participation.
ZERO13’s 7Cs
Climate:
Supports the integration of environmentally responsible resource management and green asset alignment within financial markets.
Carbon:
Provides a pathway to link resource-backed assets with carbon and environmental markets within a unified ecosystem.
Commodities:
Transforms gold and natural resources into tokenised, tradeable commodities with enhanced liquidity and accessibility.
Capital:
Unlocks institutional capital by converting high-value reserves into investable, regulated digital securities.
Communities:
Enables long-term economic value creation through responsible resource development and governance frameworks.
Countries:
Supports sovereign participation by connecting national resource assets to global capital markets through compliant infrastructure.
Connectivity:
Bridges traditional finance and digital asset ecosystems through integrated custody, trading, and settlement infrastructure.
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