The World Gold Council (WGC) has announced a new initiative to develop shared market infrastructure aimed at advancing the growth of digital gold.
The initiative is outlined in a white paper, Digital Gold: The Case for a Shared Infrastructure, co-authored with Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The report introduces the concept of “Gold as a Service”, a platform designed to support the issuance and management of scalable, interoperable digital gold products.
The proposed platform would link physical gold custody with digital systems used to issue and manage gold-backed products. By standardising key processes such as custody coordination, reconciliation, compliance and redemption, the model seeks to reduce operational complexity, improve accessibility and bring greater consistency across digital gold offerings.
The white paper notes that while gold markets have already seen significant digitalisation — including electronic trading, clearing and recordkeeping, as well as the emergence of tokenised gold products — adoption remains constrained. Limited standardisation and reduced fungibility continue to hinder the integration of digital gold into modern financial systems.
To address these structural barriers, “Gold as a Service” aims to modernise how gold interacts with an increasingly digital financial ecosystem, while preserving its physical integrity and long-standing role as a store of value.
Key features of the proposed infrastructure include simplified product issuance and management through standardised operating models; improved fungibility to enable digital gold to function as a unified asset; and embedded trust through continuous reconciliation, audit and assurance mechanisms. The platform is also designed to support interoperability with existing financial systems and emerging digital frameworks, enhancing mobility across platforms and use cases. The model could also expand gold’s utility beyond its traditional role, enabling applications such as using gold as collateral for borrowing.
David Tait, Chief Executive Officer, World Gold Council, said: “Financial services are undergoing a rapid and pervasive digital transformation and gold must also evolve to maintain its role in the global financial system. Gold as a Service is the latest step in the World Gold Council’s digital gold innovation programme, designed to strengthen trust, transparency and market efficiency. Shared infrastructure can help gold become more accessible, more easily traded and fully integrated into modern financial systems — ensuring it remains as relevant tomorrow as it has been for millennia.”
Matthias Tauber, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group, added: “The question is no longer whether gold will be digital, it’s how it can participate in modern financial systems without compromising physical integrity. Together with the World Gold Council, we explored what it takes to build trusted rails for digital gold, at market scale.”
The World Gold Council has invited market participants and innovators from within and beyond the gold industry to contribute to the development of the proposed shared infrastructure.
Offical Facebook account of heerazhaveraat.com, homepage for Trade News, Articles and Promotion of D
Heera Zhaveraat (HZ International) A Diamond, Watch and Jewellery Trade Promotion Magazine provide dealers and manufactures with the key analytical information they need to succeed in the luxury industry. Pricing, availability and market information in the Magazine provides a critical edge.
