Morgan Stanley tests DeFi and tokenization in new digital asset lab: Report

Morgan Stanley has created a Digital Asset Lab to experiment with stablecoins, tokenization and decentralized finance, Amy Oldenburg, who leads the Wall Street bank’s digital asset team, said in a recent interview with Bloomberg. The lab is part of Morgan Stanley’s innovation-lab network, where teams can test emerging technologies in controlled environments before they are connected to the bank’s core systems. Oldenburg said the new facility will be used to examine digital money and cash equivalents, including tokenized deposits, central-bank digital currencies and tokenized money market funds. The team is also interested in DeFi vaults, which pool assets and use blockchain software to deploy capital according to predetermined strategies. The bank’s innovation labs employ permanent teams and specialists from across Morgan Stanley and have previously worked on electronic trading, cybersecurity and machine learning, as reported. The facilities cover roughly 20,000 square feet across New York, Glasgow and Bangalore, with up to 270 projects passing through the labs each year. Morgan Stanley has accelerated its digital asset strategy under Oldenburg, who took over the role in January 20...