TL;DR
- BlackRock acquired municipal bonds from Quincy, Massachusetts, using blockchain technology exclusively through its MEAR fund.
- The bond issuance was facilitated by JPMorgan using its private blockchain platform.
- Despite advancements, blockchain implementation must overcome issues like liquidity shortages and potential errors in the underlying code.
BlackRock has acquired municipal bonds issued by the city of Quincy, Massachusetts, through an innovative deal that exclusively uses blockchain technology.
The transaction was made through its iShares Short Maturity Municipal Bond Active ETF (MEAR), an investment fund founded in 2015 that currently manages around $750 million in assets. The bond purchase, issued in April of this year, is unprecedented in the municipal bond market, as it is the first time the entire process of purchase, settlement, and maintenance of these bonds has been completed using blockchain technology.
Revolutionizing Capital Markets
The bond issuance process was handled by JPMorgan Chase, which used its private blockchain platform to facilitate the sale. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize capital markets, offering a more efficient and transparent way to manage financial instruments.
According to Pat Haskell, head of BlackRock’s municipal bond group, this transaction is the result of the firm’s commitment to innovation in financial markets. The operation shows that it is possible to use blockchain in the settlement of bonds. At the same time, this model opens up a wide range of possibilities for transforming the municipal bond market.
BlackRock Paves New Paths
The MEAR fund was recently updated to allow investment in municipal bonds settled through JPMorgan’s Digital Debt Service platform, a modification registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Blockchain is progressively penetrating financial markets, gaining more supporters. However, there are also risks, such as a lack of liquidity and potential errors in the platform’s underlying code.
In addition to BlackRock, other firms and entities are exploring the use of blockchain in the municipal bond market. For example, Michigan State University had considered a similar deal that would have been registered on a digital asset platform provided by Goldman Sachs
