EU gives firms until 27 November to join tokenisation standards group

Here's what happened. The ECB, the European Commission and ESMA are looking for members for a new European Tokenisation Standards Group. Its job is to agree common standards so that tokenised securities can settle and be held across different blockchain systems, and between those systems and today's market plumbing.

Applications close on 27 Nov, according to ESMA. The group is expected to start work in January 2027, and its first standards are due by early 2028, the founding documents say.

Who runs it? Industry, not officials. The group will be chaired by market participants, while the three authorities sit in as permanent observers. Decisions are made by consensus, and the mandate says no single type of firm should dominate.

It is open to EU trade associations, private firms, fintechs and technology providers working on tokenisation. Applicants need a European presence, standards expertise and the time and resources to deliver quickly, according to the call.

Put it in context. The authorities want work to start early, ahead of changes to the EU's rules for blockchain-based market infrastructure that the Commission proposed in December 2025. The group will also check how well firms stick to the standards once agreed.