The financial industry has benefited from established standards, which facilitate trading, settlement, and compliance. As digital assets like cryptocurrencies emerge, the absence of these standards threatens their adoption. Platforms that aggregate token information, such as CoinMarketCap and CoinGecko, show significant discrepancies in data, which undermines trust and consistency. Establishing global standards, akin to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) frameworks for traditional assets, can lead to greater transparency and compliance, enhancing the adoption of digital assets. Standards like the International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) could apply to crypto assets and tokenized securities, streamlining tracking and reporting. With regulatory scrutiny increasing, uniform data formats will be necessary for compliance. Global collaboration among regulators and financial institutions is crucial for ensuring interoperability, thereby reducing market fragmentation. Initial steps toward identifying digital assets with standardized ISO identifiers are underway, and combined with EU regulations, this could significantly bolster adoption. The future remains uncertain, but the push toward standardization may pave the way for broader acceptance of digital assets.

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