Gold, Tokenized: Who Really Lets You Walk Out With a Bar?

๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ด๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป, ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ด๐ผ๐น๐ฑ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐. We vetted redemption venues, minimums, fees, and chains across five programs with Swiss links (DGLD, PAXG, XAUt, DaVinci, SGT). The punchline: redemption works, but itโs gated by full-bar thresholds, eligibility, and logistics fees. And if youโre comparing to exchange-listed gold like GLD or IAU, retail redemption there is effectively off-limits.
Snapshot: Redeemable Gold Tokens (with primary chain)
Token | Where you redeem (primary path) | Minimum for a bar | Primary chain (other live networ ks) | Can you add physical gold to mint? | Notable fees / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DGLD | ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ checkout or direct with issuer; gold held at ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฃ in Switzerland. Physical redemption now enabled in CH/EU.1-2 | Whole-ba r redemptio ns for direct delivery; smaller sizes fulfilled via Gold Avenue. | Eth | Institutional/a uthorized participants; retail typically buys tokens vs. depositing metal. | Program: creation/redemption at bar events (institutional). Retail uses Gold Avenue pricing + shipping. No ongoing โtoken custodyโ fee advertised by DGLD. |
Pax Gold (PAXG) | Redeem via ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ for London Good Delivery bars; smaller amounts via authorized bullion dealers (some operating in CH). Delivery is to ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐น๐๐ when redeeming whole bars through Paxos. | โ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐ (London bar range drives over-colla teralizatio n). | Eth | No retail โbring your own barโ; minting occurs when you buy new PAXG (Paxos sources metal). | On-chain transfer ๐ฌ.๐ฌ๐ฎ%; creation/redemption tiers (up to ~1% for small sizes) + shipping/insurance on physical bar delivery. No storage fee from Paxos. |
Tether Gold (XAUt) | Tether arranges delivery of bars to ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ; metal stored in Swiss vaults. | ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ (LBMA bar). | Eth, Tron, Ton | Issuance via Tether affiliates only; no retail deposit minting. | ๐ฌ.๐ฎ๐ฑ% redemption fee + delivery/insurance; Tether advertises no storage fee. Certain jurisdictional restrictions (e.g., U.S. persons). |
DaVinci Swiss Gold (DVGO/D VGK) | ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ธโ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต custody; tokens map to specific ๐ญ-๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ (๐๐ฉ๐๐ข) ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ญ-๐ธ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ (๐๐ฉ๐๐) with serials. Pickup or delivery. | Per instrument (1 oz coin or 1 kg bar). | (๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ), not a public ERC-20 | Possible to tokenize eligible gold via issuer (KYC/eligibilit y applies). | Published premiums/fees for coin vs. kilo, plus shipping and handling for delivery. |
SEBA Gold Token (SGT) | ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ผ๐ฟ-๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐ refinery, Switzerland; ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น/๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น SEBA Bank clients only. | Institution al bar units (kilo-scale + per client docs). | Eth | ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐, ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐: LBMA-grade metal can be delivered/rec eived against tokens. | Fees disclosed in client agreements (custody/trading/redemp tion) + delivery logistics at cost. |
London Good Delivery bars vary by weight (โ370โ430 oz). Issuers ask holders to hold โ430 tokens to ensure a full-bar match plus fees for direct bar redemption; smaller sizes are usually routed through dealer partners who break into kilobars/coins and add fabrication and handling spreads.
What actually happens when you redeem
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐. ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐: PAXG whole-bar redemptions are delivered to UK vaults; for Swiss delivery on smaller tickets youโll likely go through a dealer who charges spreads and shipping. XAUt explicitly supports bar delivery to Swiss addresses. DGLD now offers physical redemption via Gold Avenue or direct contact in Switzerland/Europe.
๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ฝ: Issuer program fees are only half the picture; ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ (๐ถ๐ณ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ), ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด, ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ come from the dealer/logistics side. For example, XAUt lists a ๐ฌ.๐ฎ๐ฑ% redemption fee before delivery costs; DaVinci publishes instrument-specific premiums (e.g., DVGO vs. DVGK) covering service and logistics.
๐๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: SGT is ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ-๐ผ๐ป๐น๐; XAUt imposes jurisdictional eligibility; DGLD and PAXG require standard KYC/AML and compliance checks to move into physical. ๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
Where Stellar fits
Stellarโs long-standing strengthsโ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ, ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐/๐น๐ผ๐-๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐โ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฝ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐โmap naturally to tokenized bullion: an issuer (anchor) can gate transfers via allowlists/KYC, publish proof-of-reserve attestations, and automate redemption workflows (e.g., scheduled deliveries, whitelist-only swaps) while distributing to retail at low network cost. Add ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ and you get global cash-on/off for USDC on Stellar (cash out in ๐ญ๐ณ๐ฌ+ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐, cash-in in 30+), which could pair with a CH-vaulted gold token for practical liquidity without sacrificing custody discipline. As ever, the trust anchor is ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ-๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ปโthe vault/refiner and its disclosuresโnot the chain.
If you are interested in issuing a token - please contact us at sales@bpventures.us
About those ETFs (GLD, IAU): why retail redemption is โnoโ
Exchange-listed gold vehicles are designed for ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐น๐ถ๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐, not walk-in redemptions. ๐ข๐ป๐น๐ ๐๐๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐โlarge broker-dealers that can move bullionโcreate and redeem ETF โbasketsโ (e.g., ๐๐๐: ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐, historically โ10,000 oz; ๐๐๐จ: ๐ฑ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ baskets). Retail holders buy/sell on exchange; they ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐ turn shares into bars at the trust. If your goal is physical allocation you can touch, token programs (subject to the caveats above) or traditional vaulting are more direct routes than ETFs.
Practical playbook (before you click โredeemโ)
๐ค๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐น๐น ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ. Ask the issuer or dealer for all-in costs: redemption/program fees plus fabrication, shipping, insurance, and any taxes. XAUt publishes 0.25% program fee; the rest is logistics.
๐ฆ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐. If you want the cheapest per-ounce redemption, aim for full-bar thresholds (โ430 oz on London bars) or choose kilo/coin programs like DaVinci to match your ticket.
๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ต๐. PAXG whole-bar redemptions are to UK vaults; Swiss delivery on small lots usually flows via dealers. XAUt supports bar delivery to Swiss addresses. DGLD now supports CH/EU physical redemption via Gold Avenue or direct.
๐๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐๐. If you manage LBMA bars already, DGLD and SGT offer institution-grade mint/redeem against inventory under Swiss frameworks.