TLDR
- The World Gold Council has proposed a shared infrastructure platform called Gold as a Service to support digital gold products.
- The platform will connect physical gold custody with digital issuance and management through an integrated system.
- The framework will operate through physical, digital, and connecting layers to ensure accurate synchronization of assets.
- The council said the model will reduce operational complexity and allow issuers to focus on customer-facing services.
- The proposal follows the growth of the tokenized gold market, which reached about $5.5 billion in March 2026.
The World Gold Council has proposed a shared infrastructure platform to support digital gold products. The London-based body outlined the plan in a new whitepaper with Boston Consulting Group. The initiative seeks to simplify gold-backed product launches while ensuring trust and compliance.
World Gold Council outlines “Gold as a Service” framework
The World Gold Council introduced “Gold as a Service” to connect physical gold custody with digital issuance and management. The council said the model will provide a ready-made system for companies. As a result, issuers can avoid building complex infrastructure from scratch. The whitepaper, co-authored with Boston Consulting Group, details the proposed structure and operational standards.
The framework operates through three integrated layers that manage physical and digital processes. The physical layer handles sourcing, storage, transport, and redemption of gold. Meanwhile, the digital layer supports the issuance and management of gold-backed products. A connecting layer synchronizes physical holdings with digital records to maintain accuracy.
The council said the structure will reduce operational complexity and costs. It aims to ensure consistent compliance across custody and ownership functions. Issuers can therefore focus on pricing, branding, and customer experience. The platform will manage backend operations and reporting systems.
World Gold Council CEO David Tait addressed the proposal in a statement. He said, “Financial services are undergoing a rapid and pervasive digital transformation, and gold must also evolve.” He added that shared infrastructure can help gold become more accessible and fully integrated into modern systems.
The council has invited participants from traditional gold markets and other sectors. It encouraged stakeholders to contribute to platform development. The group plans to collaborate with industry players during implementation. The proposal sets out technical and governance standards for participation.
Fragmented systems hold back the future of digital gold
The council said fragmented systems limit the growth of digital gold markets. It stated that gold holds a global supply valued at above $30 trillion. However, existing digital products remain inconsistent and difficult to scale. These limitations create barriers to liquidity and unified trading.
Investors now expect fractional ownership and real-time transactions. Yet, the council reported that operational complexity increases costs. It also cited a lack of standardization across custody and redemption. These factors reduce interoperability between platforms.
The council described its vision for a unified digital gold asset class. It said units should remain fungible across platforms. Transparent backing by physical gold should support each unit. The model also supports easy transfer, trading, and collateral use.
Tokenized gold has expanded within the crypto market. Forbes reported a combined market capitalization of about $5.5 billion as of March 2026. Tether Gold (XAUT) and Paxos Gold (PAXG) control about 92% of the market. The council’s proposal follows this growth in tokenized products.
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