Feb 26, 2021 Standard Bank Group has partnered with Hedera Hashgraph, an enterprise-grade distributed public ledger, and joined the Hedera Governing Council. Standard Bank will establish the continent’s first Hedera network node, which is set to solve some of the sore points that have historically beset the development of cross-border trade. Lengthy settlement periods, information asymmetry between multiple parties involved in a transaction, which ends up creating delays in receiving approval from intermediaries, are some of the challenges that create bottlenecks in cross-border trade. In addition, there is little to no visibility or transparency for all parties involved. Hedera’s distributed ledger technology (DLT) effectively allows for the sharing of information between two parties involved in a transaction and ensures that that information or data is in fact credible and authentic – without the need for a trusted intermediary. Transactions conducted via the DLT platform are not confirmed until all data fields and conditions are met. This creates a transparent environment and allows for trades to be settled faster and more efficiently.