Digital Asset Identifiers (DTI) and EMIR Reporting

We are very excited to see the recent collaboration of Anna DSB and the Digital Token Identifier Foundation(DTIF) to establish a unified approach for digital token and asset identification. This initiative brings together the DTI (Digital Token Identifier) and ISIN (International Securities Identification Number) to enhance the identification of digital assets.

The DTIF is responsible for the issuance and maintenance of the DTI (Digital Token Identifier). The DTI is a global standard designed for the unique identification of all fungible digital tokens and is defined by the International Organisation for Standardisation’s ISO 24165. It is made up of a unique combination of nine alphanumeric characters.

Building on this, XT ISINs, as per the ISO 6166 standard are also being introduced to further streamline the identification of these assets. Specifically, where a crypto asset is not classified as a financial instrument, it is treated as a referential instrument and falls within the scope of XT ISIN allocation.

These identifiers will provide both regulators and market participants with improved transparency and accuracy in the digital asset market.

What does this mean for transaction reporting, especially under the EMIR regime?

For the first time, there is much-needed clarity and transparency regarding the identification of digital assets, particularly crypto assets, from a transaction reporting standpoint. Historically, there has been significant uncertainty around how these assets and the relevant derivative contract should be reported due to limited guidance and the lack of standardized identifiers.

By adopting the DTI and ISIN frameworks, we believe transaction reporting of these digital assets and the relevant derivative contract under regulations like EMIR will become clearer and more precise, leading to smoother compliance and enhanced market oversight.
Please see below a list of various digital assets and their available identifiers including the Unique Product Identifiers (UPI). The DTI is used as an underlying attribute to identify the relevant UPI code of the derivative contract. For example, the Underlier Name attribute of the UPI QZ52MJGFVNBM is equal to the Linked DTI 4H95J0R2X.

Reference links:
Anna DSB Commodity Referenc0e Price
DTI-ISIN guide
DTI-ISIN Registry Search