On 22 October 2025, XDC Network bought Contour, a trade finance platform that links 22 large banks and about 100 trading firms. XDC plans to add stablecoins and turn paper trade tools into digital tokens across a roughly 30 trillion dollar market. CoinDesk reports that XDC Ventures handled the purchase and wants to replace slow paper steps with fast digital ones.
Contour brings a working network of big banks, while XDC brings a blockchain that works like Ethereum but settles deals in two seconds and speaks the ISO 20022 message standard. The combined platform aims to digitize end-to-end trade finance processes.
Replace every paper step in a trade deal with a digital record, shifting documentation from manual workflows to verifiable digital data. Use stablecoins as ready cash for buyers or sellers, allowing settlements in seconds.
Turn real trade items — like invoices and bills of lading — into tokens so they can trade in small pieces and help raise cash faster.
Deal overview and strategic goals
XDC had already released XDC 2.0 and new node partners, indicating the tech base is ready. Atul Khekade, co founder of XDC Network, told the press: “Tokenizing millions of trade papers will let a huge slice of the 30 trillion trade finance market go fully digital.”
Banks that already sit on Contour do not need to build a new network — they switch on stablecoin tools right away. While stablecoins settle in seconds next to on-chain pools give traders instant cash.
Every user must pass KYC besides AML checks. Rules like the EU’s MiCA law and 100% reserve models give some guidance, but each country still writes its own rules. Banks that join expect to keep 20–30% more customers because deals close faster and paperwork shrinks.
XDC will plug stablecoins as well as token papers into the Contour bank network. After that, the banks already on the platform will start on chain settlements and move real token cash for live trades.
The move pushes trade finance toward fully digital operations, using stablecoins and tokenized trade papers to speed settlements, improve liquidity, and cut paperwork for participants on Contour.
