PH accelerates digital shift as PDAX leads tokenized finance push

Insider Spotlight

• PDAX emerges as a central driver of the country’s tokenized finance ecosystem
• Tokenization expands investment access through mobile wallets
• BSP–SEC frameworks align with private-sector innovation to scale inclusion

Digital asset exchange and technology provider Philippine Digital Asset Exchange (PDAX) is taking a front-line role in reshaping how Filipinos participate in the financial system, according to a joint report on “Project Bayani” by PDAX, Saison Capital, and Onigiri Capital.

The report, launched on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 in Taguig City, positions PDAX not only as a technology provider but as the country’s key pioneer in enabling tokenized government bonds and wallet-based distribution of real-world assets.

Why it matters

PDAX’s infrastructure is at the core of the Philippines’ early success in tokenization. By converting government bonds into digital tokens and embedding them into platforms like GCash and its own exchange, PDAX has made investing accessible, affordable, and frictionless, especially for first-time retail participants.

By the numbers

• Minimum investments for tokenized government bonds now start at P500, compared with traditional minimums that can reach six figures.
• Blockchain-enabled wallets embedded in GCash, Maya, PDAX, and Coins.ph now give millions of Filipinos instant access to digital assets.
• Around 14 percent of Filipinos already own crypto, outpacing ownership of bonds, mutual funds, or stocks.

Nichel Gaba

The founder and CEO of PDAX says financial inclusion can get a big boost via Blockchain-enabled tokenized assets like retail government bonds

Driving the shift

Project Bayani highlights several forces accelerating tokenized asset adoption, with PDAX at the center:

• A ready-made blockchain wallet infrastructure

PDAX’s regulated platform has enabled secure storage, trading, and settlement of tokenized assets. This wallet-native infrastructure is what allowed tokenized government bonds to reach mass retail users at unprecedented speed.

• Progressive regulation meeting private innovation

The BSP’s virtual asset service provider (VASP) framework and the SEC’s crypto asset service provider (CASP) rules provide the guardrails needed to safely scale tokenized products. PDAX’s compliance-first approach has allowed it to operate squarely within these rules while pushing forward real-world applications such as tokenized retail treasury bonds.

• Shifting retail behavior

With crypto adoption outpacing traditional investment products, PDAX has become a primary entry point for millions exploring digital assets—positioning the company as the connector between everyday mobile wallets and the country’s evolving capital markets.

The big picture

Project Bayani envisions a “tokenized-first” capital market where secure, on-chain assets become part of everyday life. PDAX’s role is foundational: it builds the pipelines that let these assets move safely across mobile wallets and into the hands of ordinary Filipinos.

What’s next

The report underscores the need for aligned regulation, product development, and financial education to scale adoption.

With PDAX’s infrastructure already enabling tokenized government bonds at P500 minimums, the next frontier includes tokenized funds, equities, and credit instruments, all delivered through familiar wallet-native experiences. —Daxim L. Lucas |Ed: Corrie S. Narisma