Sygnum is proud to announce that Fatmire Bekiri, Head of Tokenization, has won the Alternatives Category at the AssetAwards 2025, presented by Finews and Asset Rush. This award recognises the landmark tokenization of Pablo Picasso’s masterpiece Fillette au béret—a global first by a regulated bank.
Fatmire Bekiri, Head of Tokenization, Sygnum Bank, says “I’m honoured to receive this award. It is a reflection of the trust, collaboration, and resilience of those around me. Thank you to the Sygnum team, our clients and partners and all who voted for us. The tokenization of Fillette au béret was a defining moment — not just for Sygnum and the art business, but for the broader finance industry. It was a pioneering demonstration of how tokenization can unlock access to unique, high-value assets and directly connect buyers and sellers – all within a fully regulated environment under Swiss law.”
This marked the first time a Picasso painting was transformed into a tradeable, bank-grade security and broadcast on a public blockchain. Through this innovation, investors were able to purchase and trade fractional ownership in the multi-million-franc artwork for as little as CHF 5,000, fully recognised under Swiss law. The Picasso Art Security Tokens (AST) were made available on SygnEx, Sygnum’s regulated secondary market, directly connecting buyers and sellers without the need for intermediaries. The full investment cycle was completed when 60 token-holders exited their positions with a 20% return—demonstrating the viability and liquidity of tokenized art.
You can read our Picasso launch announcement here: Sygnum Bank and Artemundi tokenize a Picasso on the blockchain and about its shareholder returns here: Sale of Picasso painting tokenized by Sygnum brings significant returns for tokenholders
Since this milestone, Sygnum has continued to lead the evolution of tokenization, expanding access to high-quality investment opportunities and enhancing capital efficiency across asset classes. Key highlights from Sygnum’s tokenization journey include:
- July 2021 – Picasso: First-ever tokenization of a Picasso painting, enabling fractional art investment
- December 2021 – CryptoPunk: Tokenized CryptoPunk #6808, pioneering fractional access to blue-chip NFTs
- October 2023 – Float: Issued tokenized private debt assets, simplifying access to European SaaS investments
- February 2024 – Hamilton Lane: Democratised private markets with DLT-registered share classes and monthly liquidity
- March 2024 – Matter Labs: Sygnum tokenizes Matter Labs’ treasury reserves in USD 6.9bn Fidelity MMF, enabling real-time on-chain proof-of-reserves
- July 2024 – Chainlink: Brought NAV data for Fidelity International’s $6.9 billion Institutional Liquidity Fund on-chain, enhancing transparency and automation
- May 2025 – Citi & SDX: Enabled access to pre-IPO equities via SDX, expanding digital asset investment horizons
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