Distributed Ledger Technology investment is accelerating in capital markets, but execution is stuck. Most firms sit in the middle: production DLT capped by legacy integration and cost barriers (75% cite high development costs as their top challenge).
Clearing and settlement dominates spending (76% allocate over US$1 million), while private markets and fixed income show stronger tokenization appetite. Cost reduction remains the only proven business case – 51% expect savings exceeding 6%.
This report maps where current DLT roadmaps diverge from adoption reality, identifies which asset classes will scale first, and reveals the operational fixes essential for moving from isolated pilots to enterprise deployment.
Datos Insights surveyed 300 senior technology and operations executives at global capital markets institutions in Q3 2025.
Clients of Datos Insights Capital Markets practice can access this report.
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