Calais Becomes 1st Quantitative Hedge Fund to Deploy UBS uMINT as OES Collateral via Bybit, ByCustody & DigiFT – Crypto News

June 18th, 2026 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Calais (Calais Digital Assets), a Singapore-headquartered multi-strategy quantitative investment fund, has become the first institutional client to deploy UBS uMINT as off-exchange settlement (OES) collateral in active trading operations — marking a significant milestone in the real-world adoption of institutional-grade tokenised assets.

The transaction was executed across an integrated infrastructure layer comprising Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and a licensed virtual asset platform operator across multiple jurisdictions; ByCustody, Bybit’s institutional custody arm; and DigiFT, authorised distributor of the UBS USD Money Market Investment Fund (“uMINT”), the first tokenized investment fund launched by UBS Asset Management. Under the OES collateral model, Calais’s uMINT holdings remain in ByCustody’s custody while simultaneously serving as live trading collateral on Bybit — allowing the fund to maintain yield on its collateral position throughout the duration of its trading activities.

From Infrastructure to Capital Efficiency

The announcement follows the collaboration between Bybit and DigiFT in 2025 to expand institutional collateral support for UBS uMINT, which established the technical and regulatory framework for uMINT to be accepted as trading collateral. Calais’s live deployment closes the loop between infrastructure and practice — demonstrating that the efficiency gains of yield-bearing tokenised collateral are not theoretical, but executable at institutional scale today.

Traditional OES collateral arrangements require trading counterparties to post idle cash or cash equivalents to an exchange — capital that sits undeployed and earns nothing. By utilizing uMINT — an institutional style USD money market fund built on the Ethereum public blockchain — Calais maintains continuous yield on assets that would otherwise be locked in a non-earning position. The result is a meaningful improvement in capital efficiency: collateral that works harder, without compromising the security or liquidity profile required by institutional trading operations.

A Multi-Party Infrastructure Stack

The transaction is enabled by a purpose-built three-layer architecture. 

• DigiFT, as the authorised licensed distributor of the UBS uMINT token, provides the regulated access layer through which institutional clients subscribe to and hold uMINT on-chain. 
• ByCustody provides institutional-grade, segregated custody of the token within Bybit’s licensed operating structure, ensuring assets are held securely and recognised as eligible collateral for trading purposes. 
• Bybit’s exchange infrastructure accepts the custodied uMINT as settlement collateral, enabling Calais to trade without pre-funding positions with cash.

This structure separates custody from deployment — a distinction that matters operationally and from a risk management perspective. Assets do not need to leave regulated custody to function as exchange collateral, preserving the security architecture institutional allocators require.

Lily Yan, Founder & CEO, Calais Digital Assets: “As a systematic, quantitative fund, capital efficiency is not a marginal consideration — it is core to how we construct and manage portfolios. Deploying uMINT as OES collateral through this infrastructure allows us to earn yield on assets that would otherwise be frozen as idle margin. This is precisely the kind of structural improvement that institutional adoption of tokenised assets should enable, and we are pleased to be among the first to execute it in live trading conditions.”Henry Zhang, Founder & Group CEO, DigiFT: “Institutional adoption of any new financial infrastructure follows a disciplined path — and it should. The fact that a sophisticated quantitative fund like Calais has deployed uMINT as live OES collateral is precisely the validation that matters. This is not a pilot or a proof of concept. It is a fund making a deliberate, operationally considered decision to improve capital efficiency through regulated tokenised assets — and that is the clearest signal yet that institutional RWA utility has arrived.”Yoyee Wang, Bybit’s Global Head of RWA and TradFi:  “Bybit has always believed that the future of institutional trading lies in making capital work smarter — not harder. Accepting uMINT as OES collateral is a natural extension of that conviction: it allows sophisticated trading firms like Calais to maintain yield on assets that would traditionally sit idle as margin, while trading on one of the world’s most liquid platforms. ByCustody provides the custody backbone that makes this possible safely and within a regulated framework. Together, this demonstrates what institutional-grade infrastructure looks like when exchange, custody, and regulated distribution are built to work in concert.”

Disclaimer

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Before making any investment decision, please seek independent legal and financial advice. Clients intending to trade this product are reminded of the risks associated with such products and should carefully assess their investment objectives, risk appetite, financial situation, and particular needs before making any investment decision.

This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any product or service. Eligibility to access or invest in any products mentioned is subject to applicable laws and investor qualification requirements. DigiFT products and services are available only through authorised and regulated intermediaries to eligible investors. Readers should seek independent legal, financial, and tax advice before making any investment decision.

About Calais Digital Assets Calais is a Singapore-headquartered quantitative investment fund specializing in macro asset class enhancement strategies, with offices in New York and Hong Kong. The fund integrates deep fundamental macro research with systematic quantitative models, deploying a diversified portfolio of enhancement strategies across major asset classes through algorithmic execution — governed by a rigorous and deliberately conservative risk management framework. Calais is committed to delivering low-correlation, attribution-transparent sources of enhanced returns to qualified investors and institutional clients. Portfolio resilience under stress is maintained through dynamic risk budgeting, real-time scenario analysis, and continuous liquidity monitoring — ensuring strategy integrity across a broad range of market environments, including tail-risk events.

About DigiFT

DigiFT is a next-generation platform for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for Type 1 and Type 4 regulated activities. The platform offers end-to-end digital asset services—including tokenization, issuance, distribution, trading, and instant liquidity provision—purpose-built for institutional RWAs. Trusted by global financial institutions, DigiFT is the on-chain tokenization and distribution partner for leading asset managers such as BNY, CMB International, DBS Bank, Franklin Templeton, Hines, Invesco, UBS Asset Management, and Wellington Management. Learn more at www.digift.io

About Bybit

Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving a global community of over 80 million users. Founded in 2018, Bybit is redefining openness in the decentralized world by creating a simpler, open and equal ecosystem for everyone. With a strong focus on Web3, Bybit partners strategically with leading blockchain protocols to provide robust infrastructure and drive on-chain innovation. Renowned for its secure custody, diverse marketplaces, intuitive user experience, and advanced blockchain tools, Bybit bridges the gap between TradFi and DeFi, empowering builders, creators, and enthusiasts to unlock the full potential of Web3. Discover the future of decentralized finance at Bybit.com.

About ByCustody

ByCustody is an institutional-grade, security-first custody and digital asset management platform. Designed to serve the evolving needs of institutional clients, ByCustody delivers secure and scalable custody solutions backed by enterprise-level security infrastructure.

Powered by MPC (Multi-Party Computation) technology, multi-layer approval workflows, and dedicated on-chain addresses for each client, ByCustody ensures that institutional assets are protected at every layer — from key management to transaction authorization. With a deep understanding of the digital asset landscape, ByCustody empowers institutions to safeguard their assets with confidence, combining robust protection with deep integration into the broader digital asset ecosystem. Learn more at: bycustody.com

Media Contact

DigiFT Press, [email protected]

Calais Press, [email protected] 

Bybit Press, [email protected]

Contact

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Tony Au
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