Securities Regulator of India Bets on Blockchain

Published at: Jan. 23, 2020

The Chairman of Security and Exchange Board of India(SEBI), Ajay Tyagi makes a bet on blockchain technology and urges exploration of the best possible usage of blockchain in securities markets.

SEBI is the regulator of the Indian securities market. On Jan 23, speaking at a research conference on 'Changing Landscape of Securities Market' organized by the National Institute of Securities Markets, Patalganj, Tyagi said that applications of blockchain, artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to bring a paradigm shift in the securities markets landscape.

“Blockchain could be used in clearing, settlement and record-keeping given its benefits in maintaining records in distributed ledgers, while still being a single source of truth.”

He takes example of some international blockchain projects and asks for research in these areas. 

“Blockchain-based solutions are being developed by some foreign exchanges for settlement and by domestic exchanges for KYC recordkeeping purposes. There is a need for active research into these technologies to explore their best possible usage in securities markets.”

More weight on the latest technologies

Tyagi also emphasized the use of the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain to streamline the securities market. Technology has played a major role in transforming the capital markets. He said:

“Catching malpractices in the market using the standard tools is increasingly getting difficult. SEBI has already planned Data Lake project to augment analytical capability with advance analytical tools viz., AI/ML, deep learning, big data analytics, and natural language processing, etc.”

Although the Indian government is positive about the use of blockchain in multiple cases, it is not specifically positive on cryptocurrency. As Cointelegraph reported, the Supreme Court of India is hearing a petition filed against the ban on the banking channel imposed by Reserve Bank of India. The next hearing on this case is scheduled for Jan. 28.

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