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Digital assets as collateral in England and the US: priority and super-priority of security interests

5 May 2026 / Author(s): Dr Jonathan Haines , Julia Lu
Issue: May 2026 / Categories: Feature

"Tokenisation ... could streamline collateral mobility by enabling near-instant movement of assets across firms and jurisdictions."1The increased use of digital assets as collateral is recognised by financial market regulators, as well as by industry participants, as an opportunity to enhance efficiency and reduce the risks associated with cross-border collateral exchanges between financial firms and with end-users. The borderless nature of the markets and infrastructure which enables transactions in digital assets also complicates the assessment of legal risk. One critical issue is that of priority, meaning the ability for providers of debt finance to obtain a security interest over a digital asset which ranks ahead of other claimants. This article compares the position in England and Wales with the US under Art 12 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

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