IBM has launched Digital Asset Haven, an enterprise cryptocurrency custody and payment platform designed for US businesses and government agencies, marking a significant push by the tech giant into blockchain infrastructure for traditional institutions.
The service, built in partnership with wallet provider Dfns, is set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2025 as a software-as-a-service product offering access to decentralized finance protocols across more than 40 blockchains..
The announcement comes at a time when both private institutions and public entities are looking for ways to securely integrate blockchain-based tools into their workflows.
Rising interest in stablecoin payments and tokenized real-world assets has sparked demand for infrastructure that can meet regulatory, security and operational standards. The governments tradfi adoption trend is increasingly influencing how major technology firms develop enterprise blockchain products.
IBM’s Digital Asset Haven will allow institutions to access onchain yield opportunities from decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols across more than 40 public blockchains.
It also includes compliance support aimed at organizations with stringent regulatory requirements. This early positioning suggests IBM expects governments tradfi adoption to accelerate significantly in the years ahead.
Stablecoins and tokenization drive demand
The rise of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and stablecoin settlement systems has contributed to institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure. IBM emphasized that these market shifts are reshaping expectations around financial workflows, a central factor in the current expansion of governments tradfi adoption.
Clarisse Hagège, CEO of Dfns, highlighted the foundational role of strong system architecture:
“For digital assets to be integrated into core banking and capital markets systems, the underlying infrastructure must meet the same standards as traditional financial rails,” — Clarisse Hagège, CEO, Dfns.
She added:
“Together with IBM, we’ve built a platform that goes beyond custody to orchestrate the full digital asset ecosystem, paving the way for digital assets to move from pilot programs to production at a global scale.”
Institutional activity in tokenized equities supports this trend. According to Binance Research, tokenized stock holdings rose 220% in July, echoing the rapid growth of early DeFi markets.
The number of blockchain addresses holding tokenized equities grew from 1,600 to more than 90,000 in the same period. Such signals point to steady governments tradfi adoption of tokenization models.
Compliance and scalability considerations
A key barrier for institutions entering digital asset markets has been regulatory clarity and standardized compliance workflows. Digital Asset Haven seeks to address this by offering identity verification, Anti-Money Laundering controls and policy governance tools under one framework.
These features are expected to appeal to organizations bound by oversight, including those involved in governments tradfi adoption initiatives.
Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov noted that blockchain-based compliance frameworks could dramatically increase efficiencies compared to existing systems.
“If you compare what it costs and how complicated it is to make a compliant transaction in the TradFi world, our industry should be able to do it 10 times faster and cheaper,” — Sergey Nazarov, Co-founder, Chainlink.
Chainlink’s recently introduced Automated Compliance Engine (ACE) aims to standardize regulatory processes across blockchain networks, potentially unlocking large segments of capital for blockchain use, another factor motivating governments tradfi adoption efforts globally.
Broader implications for governments tradfi adoption
IBM’s entry highlights a strategic shift: digital assets are increasingly being positioned not as speculative instruments but as infrastructure.
The focus on enterprise-grade solutions signals that governments tradfi adoption is evolving from exploratory pilots to operational implementation. This trend aligns with broader movements among banks, asset managers and state-backed institutions exploring blockchain-based settlement systems.
As stablecoins become more widely used in cross-border transfers and financial reporting, and as RWAs continue to be packaged into digital formats, platforms like Digital Asset Haven could set the operational standard for future institutional frameworks.
The coming years may determine whether digital assets become embedded permanently within public-sector and traditional finance architectures. If adoption proceeds at its current pace, IBM’s project may represent a foundational step in the long-term structure of governments tradfi adoption.