Universal Token and SUSTECH Bank Forge Alliance to Build Digital Asset Infrastructure in Africa and Asia

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – January 22, 2026 – A landmark agreement signed today aims to reshape the landscape of institutional finance across two of the world's fastest-growing continents. Universal Token, Inc. ($UTKN), a publicly traded firm specializing in blockchain infrastructure, and The SUSTECH Bank, a global development finance platform, have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build and deploy institutional-grade digital asset and settlement systems across Africa and Asia.

The strategic alliance signals a significant move to push blockchain technology beyond the realm of speculative cryptocurrencies and into the core of regulated, real-world economic development. The collaboration will focus on tokenizing tangible assets—such as infrastructure projects, commodities, and natural resources—to create transparent and efficient financing mechanisms for governments, corporations, and major funds.

A New Blueprint for Institutional Finance

Under the terms of the MoU, the two organizations will co-design digital asset platforms tailored for institutional use. This includes creating frameworks for tokenized real-world assets, developing digital gold infrastructure, and building settlement-grade instruments designed for governmental and corporate applications. A key component of the agreement is the explicit exclusion of retail trading platforms or speculative digital assets, a clear effort to distance the initiative from the volatility and regulatory uncertainty of the broader crypto market.

This focus on asset-backed digital finance represents a maturing of the blockchain industry. The partnership aims to leverage the technology's core strengths—transparency, efficiency, and security—to solve tangible problems in development finance. By creating digital representations of real-world assets on a blockchain, the alliance hopes to unlock liquidity, streamline cross-border investment, and provide auditable proof of ownership and asset performance.

The collaboration plans to integrate the Universa Blockchain infrastructure, developed by Universal Token, with The SUSTECH Bank’s established institutional and settlement frameworks. This integration will support the entire lifecycle of digitally native, asset-backed financial instruments, from issuance and administration to final settlement. The partners intend to launch joint pilot deployments with governments, banks, and infrastructure sponsors, prioritizing regulatory alignment and long-term economic utility.

The Technology: Under the Hood of Universa Blockchain

The technological backbone of this ambitious venture is the Universa Blockchain, a platform engineered specifically for enterprise and institutional adoption. Unlike first-generation blockchains like Bitcoin, which rely on energy-intensive mining, Universa operates on a permissioned network of licensed and audited nodes. This model is designed to deliver high performance and security, which are critical requirements for institutional finance.

Universal Token claims its technology can process between 22,000 and 25,000 transactions per second (TPS) with costs as low as $0.01 per transaction—a stark contrast to the slower and more expensive public blockchains. This high throughput is achieved through a unique architecture that separates contract execution from the main ledger, enabling rapid verification and settlement. The platform's security protocols are built to enterprise standards, employing robust encryption and adhering to practices like ISO 27001.

Universal Token, which is publicly traded on the OTCQB market, has a track record of developing platforms for tokenizing real-sector assets. In September 2025, the company announced a platform in the UAE for tokenizing gold and issuing multi-currency stablecoins. Previous projects cited by the company include a national blockchain initiative in Tunisia and the tokenization of agricultural commodities, demonstrating a history of applying its technology to tangible economic use cases.

“We see real-world asset tokenization as a foundational layer of next-generation financial infrastructure, particularly for emerging economies,” stated Alexander Borodich, Founder and Chairman of Universal Token, Inc. “Partnering with The SUSTECH Bank enables Universal Token to expand across Africa and Asia while remaining focused on productive, asset-backed use-cases supported by strong governance and regulatory alignment.”

The Partner: SUSTECH Bank's Role as a Development Catalyst

While its name includes 'Bank,' The SUSTECH Bank functions primarily as a specialized development finance platform and an outgrowth of the Global Sustainable and Scalable Technologies and Economic Hubs (SUSTECH) Initiative. Its mission is not to operate as a traditional deposit-taking institution but to identify, vet, and deploy commercially viable, late-stage sustainable technologies to address critical global challenges.

Its focus spans crucial sectors including infrastructure, water, health, food security, and air quality. The organization acts as a bridge, connecting technology providers with governments, private sector entrepreneurs, and institutional investors. The SUSTECH Bank brings to the alliance its deep regional networks, institutional relationships, and established frameworks for executing complex development projects in emerging markets.

This expertise is vital for navigating the intricate political, regulatory, and economic environments in Africa and Asia. The partnership will leverage The SUSTECH Bank’s geographic reach and project pipeline to ensure the digital asset infrastructure being built is not just technologically sound but also practically applicable and aligned with regional development goals.

Unlocking Capital for High-Growth Regions

The strategic decision to prioritize Africa and Asia is driven by immense opportunity and pressing need. Both continents face significant infrastructure and natural resource development gaps, requiring trillions of dollars in investment. Simultaneously, there is a rising demand from both governments and investors for more transparent, sustainable, and efficient financing mechanisms that traditional systems often struggle to provide.

By tokenizing assets, the alliance aims to make large-scale projects more accessible to a global pool of institutional capital, potentially reducing the cost of financing and increasing the speed of deployment. The use of blockchain technology can provide investors with unprecedented transparency through features like Proof-of-Reserve (PoR) systems, which offer verifiable proof that the digital tokens are backed by real, audited assets.

“The SUSTECH Bank envisions a future where scalable innovation, institutional finance, and sustainable technology converge to address the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Akash Mahendra Bhavsar, Managing Director of The SUSTECH Bank. “This collaboration with Universal Token allows us to deploy asset-backed digital infrastructure that can unlock long-term capital for infrastructure, energy, environmental resilience, food security, and health-related initiatives across Africa and Asia.”

Moving forward, the alliance plans to actively engage with governments, industrial partners, banks, and project developers, offering a ready-to-deploy institutional digital infrastructure stack for the issuance, management, settlement, and lifecycle administration of tokenized assets.