Apex Group has become the first transfer agent and fund service provider to administer regulated securities, using blockchain as the book of record. This ground-breaking approach enables global private market funds to access a more diverse and significantly larger pool of qualified investors. 

In partnership with Hamilton Lane and Sygnum Bank, Apex Group Luxembourg team created a new digital share class of the Hamilton Lane GPA fund, and a DLT registry, to automate and integrate traditionally separate fund administration functions. Tokenisation of the fund creates a digital share class, and a DLT registry to manage its distribution and administration. 

Apex Group is regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg, to manage investor onboarding (AML/KYC), subscription, administration, and transfer agency of a fund’s traditional, and now digital share classes. Apex Group will increasingly utilise this operating model for all of its asset management clientele, in turn enabling them to sell more of their product.

Bernard Biren, Head of Transfer Agency Operations at Apex Group Luxembourg said: “We feel extremely proud to have contributed to this initiative, from defining the requirements associated to the target operating model to final implementation. The collaboration with Hamilton Lane and Sygnum Bank has been very positive and constructive throughout.  This is a first milestone in the DLT space for the Apex Luxembourg Transfer Agency and we look forward to further opportunities to expand our offering and support our clients in their distribution ambitions.”

Bruce Jackson, CFA, Apex Group Chief of Digital Asset Funds and Business also commented: 

“Our goal is to enable distributors and wealth managers to have increased access to our clients’ alternative strategies. We  will continue to perfect our Framework Operating Model for the distribution of alternative asset funds using blockchain as the subscription, onboarding, operating, administration, and transfer agency platform.”