Currently, these innovative financial instruments are accessible exclusively to qualified investors. However, future plans include broader availability to all clients of partner banks integrated with the Atomyze blockchain platform. Qualified investors are identified based on their market experience, granting them access to a wider array of investment tools not available to non-professional participants.

Nornickel’s metals digitalisation firm, GPF Investments (GPFI), has successfully issued four types of tokens linked to platinum group metals — platinum, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium — on the Atomyze blockchain platform. This issuance includes 1,255 digital financial assets, equivalent to approximately RUB 2.5 million, with each token representing one gram of metal.

The maturity of digital assets for platinum group metals is one year, but there are several early redemption periods. An investor can choose a maturity date that is comfortable for him and lock in a profit at a time when the price of metals is particularly attractive.

Pricing of platinum and palladium tokens aligns with the London Bullion Market Participants Association (LBMA) last evening rate, converted at the rouble-dollar exchange rate set by the Bank of Russia. Ruthenium and iridium tokens will be priced according to rates published by Johnson Matthey, a British chemical company.

The initial token release for platinum group metals, targeting three private investors including Nornickel’s Vice President for Sales and Commerce Anton Berlin, marks a significant step towards wider investor access as the supporting infrastructure and legal frameworks evolve.

Anton Berlin, Vice President and Head of Sales and Commerce at Nornickel, commented: “In the vast landscape of financial instruments, few are directly tied to commodities, and none match the convenience offered by GPFI’s tokens. Platinum and palladium are currently vital in the automotive industry. Their potential in burgeoning fields like hydrogen energy suggests an imminent surge in demand. Likewise, iridium and ruthenium hold the promise of ground-breaking applications, poised to substantially enhance their market value.”

Vladimir Pronsky, CEO of GPFI, commented: “Investors around the world are seeking to diversify their capital and are shifting it in favour of protective assets such as precious metals. Central banks have been buying precious metals on a quarterly basis for over a decade. As a result, precious metals have gained the status of one of the most attractive types of financial assets. We are pleased to offer investors sought-after and reliable financial instruments.”

GPFI, a subsidiary of Nornickel, focuses on selling base and precious metals through advanced digitalisation technologies. The firm is preparing a series of public issues of digital financial assets (DFAs) in Russia, encompassing various metals baskets that include nickel, copper, platinum, palladium, and gold, exclusively for qualified investors.

Nornickel's digitalisation firm issues tokens for platinum group metals