Fireblocks and ANZ Create AUD Stablecoin

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) has teamed up with crypto custodian Fireblocks to mint a stablecoin pegged to the Australian dollar.

• According to the bank, this is the first time a major bank has been involved in the creation of a stablecoin.
• The bank created the stablecoin for Victor Smorgon Group, a large family office based in Australia, which plans to use it to trade on the Melbourne-based exchange Zerocap.
• "An ANZ-issued Australian dollar stablecoin is a first step in enabling our customers to find a safe and secure gateway to the digital economy," said ANZ Banking Services Portfolio Lead Nigel Dobson in a press release.
• The Victor Smorgon Group said that transferring assets to Zerocap via a stablecoin took 30 minutes compared to the usual day or two for a fiat wire transfer.
• Michael Shaulov, CEO of Fireblocks, said in a statement he expects more banks to follow ANZ’s lead.
• As a custodian and infrastructure provider, Fireblocks has worked with BNY Mellon (BK), Siam Commercial Bank, Revolut and Crypto.com.
• ANZ’s A$DC will initially be marketed toward institutional clients, with retail availability on an Australian crypto exchange coming later.
• A$DC is currently based on the Ethereum blockchain, but ANZ said it plans to expand it to Hedera and other chains in the near future.