The London Stock Exchange launched a Microsoft-powered blockchain platform for private funds, marking the first such initiative by a global exchange.

The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) launched a blockchain-based infrastructure platform for private funds, making it the first major global stock exchange to use such a system.

The platform, called Digital Markets Infrastructure (DMI), supports the full lifecycle of digital assets, from issuance and tokenization to post-trade settlement. It was developed with Microsoft and runs on Microsoft Azure, the exchange said on Monday.

LSEG said the system was designed to provide interoperability between distributed ledger technology and traditional financial systems as part of its goal to become the first global exchange group to support clients across the “full funding continuum.”

Private funds are the first asset class to go live on the DMI, with plans for additional asset classes.

As part of the initial offering, private funds on the DMI will be discoverable by Workspace’s users, enabling general partners to interact with professional investors on these platforms.

Capital management firm MembersCap and London-based Archax, a Financial Conduct Authority-regulated crypto exchange, were the first clients onboarded. MembersCap conducted the platform’s debut transaction with Archax acting as a nominee for the Cardano Foundation.