Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) established the Digital Asset Innovation Hub (DAIH) in June 2025 to foster responsible innovation in the digital asset space to support the digitalisation of Malaysia’s financial sector and the wider economy.
The DAIH is positioned as a collaborative co-creation and capacity building platform to explore the use of blockchain technology for real-world applications in the financial sector.
This includes supporting the testing of novel innovative solutions with a view to inform the future development of production-grade utilities and potential legal and regulatory enhancements.
Interested parties may contact [email protected] to express interest to participate or seek further clarification.
Co-creation under the DAIH
The DAIH will prioritise high-impact use cases with clear value propositions aligned with the principles of responsible innovation.
Interested parties may contact the DAIH to seek further guidance and also to explore potential testing.
Potential participants should demonstrate:
- Credible value proposition that addresses real-world challenges;
- State of readiness to test proposed solution(s) with firm commitment from key project partners;
- Track record of sound governance, effective internal controls and robust risk management practices; and
- Ability to meet relevant regulatory expectations, including on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and foreign exchange policies.
The recent release of the Discussion Paper on Asset Tokenisation provides further guidance and direction on considerations for responsible experimentation.
(Updated as at 30 July 2026)
| Institution(s) | Initiative |
|---|---|
| Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad and Capital A Berhad | Ringgit stablecoins for B2B settlement |
| Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) | Tokenised deposits for payments |
| CIMB Group Holdings Berhad (CIMB) | Tokenised deposits for settlement of tokenised securities |
Capacity Building
An Industry Working Group (IWG) was established as a platform among financial institutions to advance tokenisation use cases for the financial sector, strengthen industry capabilities, and support future regulatory development work.
Pioneer members:
- AmBank (M) Berhad
- CIMB Bank Berhad
- Hong Leong Bank Berhad
- Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad
- Malayan Banking Berhad
- MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Berhad
- RHB Investment Bank Berhad
- Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Berhad
Note: Other partners include the Securities Commission Malaysia and Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Observer members:
- AEON Bank (M) Berhad
- Al Rajhi Banking and Investment Corporation (M) Berhad
- Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad
- Bank Pertanian Malaysia Berhad (Agrobank)
- China Construction Bank (M) Berhad
- HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad
- J.P. Morgan Chase Bank Berhad
- OCBC Bank (M) Berhad
- Public Bank Berhad
- United Overseas Bank (M) Berhad
Frequently Asked Questions
- Participation in the DAIH is open to regulated financial institutions, fintech companies and other entities incorporated in Malaysia that are developing digital asset-related business models or solutions. Foreign entities may also participate through partnerships with these Malaysian entities.
- Any company operating in, or seeking to enter, the digital asset space is expected to comply with applicable laws and regulations, including those relating to deposit-taking, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), foreign exchange policies, and remittance activities.
- Participants should also demonstrate a clear commitment to meeting any obligations concerning the use of digital assets for payments, as outlined under the relevant testing parameters.
- Currently, the DAIH prioritises use cases that include tokenised deposits, ringgit backed stablecoins, programmable payments and supply chain financing. Further elaboration and guidance on these use cases can be found in the Discussion Paper on Asset Tokenisation.
- We also welcome interested parties to engage us on other use cases that have tangible benefits for the economy.
We expect the testing period to vary depending on the complexity of the use cases, thus the period may range up to 6 months.
- Admission into the DAIH does not constitute or guarantee regulatory recognition upon completion of the testing period.
- Any intention to launch the solution in a live environment will require further assessment by BNM, including on potential legal or regulatory impediments.
- However, the outcomes and learnings from the DAIH will be used to identify and facilitate potential enhancements to the regulatory framework to support possible live roll-out of these innovations.
- Participants will have the opportunity to test and learn directly alongside BNM and other players, while having access to explore viable partnerships across the ecosystem.
- They will also be able to deepen their understanding of viable business models and risk management expectations that would enable them to pursue responsible innovation.
The DAIH has a specific focus on Digital Asset use cases and testing related innovative solutions. Different from the Regulatory Sandbox, regulatory impediments are not a prerequisite to participate in the DAIH.
If the proposed business model or activity faces regulatory impediments under existing regulations, applicants may be guided to the Regulatory Sandbox. For more info on BNM’s Regulatory Sandbox click here.
