匯豐銀行（HSBC）表示，該行已經完成了世界上第一筆運用區塊鏈技術的貿易融資。

具體情況是，匯豐代表美國食品和農業公司嘉吉（Cargill）向金融機構荷蘭國際集團（ING）開出了信用證。本次貿易融資所涉交易為從阿根廷向馬來西亞出口大豆。

借助區塊鏈技術，該信用證存放在開放的分布式賬本上，有權訪問這個系統的人都能看到所有的交易。這就使交易雙方不再需要核對賬目并進行一長串的數字（和紙質）通信了。匯豐和ING稱，本次交易已在24小時內完成，而通常情況下，按傳統方式進行這樣的交易需要5-10天。

匯豐使用了區塊鏈公司R3開發的Corda平臺。作為初創公司，R3正在和200多家銀行、清算機構、交易所和市場基礎設施供應商組成的團體合作，旨在開發基于分布式賬本技術的商業應用。

同時，在利用區塊鏈這項迅速發展的技術方面，匯豐并不“孤單”。

西班牙國家銀行（Santander）上個月推出了基于分布式賬本技術的外幣兌換服務，可以進行同日國際貨幣轉賬。摩根大通（J.P. Morgan）最近也申請了利用區塊鏈協助銀行同業支付的專利。（財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

審稿：夏林

?

HSBC said it has performed the world’s first trade finance transaction using blockchain technology.

Here’s what happened: HSBC issued a letter of credit for U.S. food and agriculture firm Cargill to Dutch lender ING. The trade finance transaction involved a shipment of soybeans from Argentina to Malaysia.

Using blockchain technology, this letter is stored on an open, distributed ledger where every transaction is visible to anyone with access to the system. This eliminates the need for paper reconciliation and a long chain of digital (and paper) communication between the two parties. HSBC and ING said the exchange was performed in 24 hours, whereas it normally takes five to 10 days for such a transaction to go through traditional methods.

HSBC used the “Corda” platform, which was developed by blockchain company R3. The startup works with a consortium of more than 200 banks, clearing houses, exchanges, and market infrastructure providers to develop commercial applications of distributed ledger technology.

And HSBC isn’t alone in exploring the uses for the burgeoning technology.

Santander last month launched a foreign exchange service that uses the distributed ledger tech to make same-day international money transfers. J.P. Morgan recently applied for a patent to facilitate payments between banks using the blockchain.