Digital Token Identifier Foundation: the DTI code for digital tokens

A digital token identifier (DTI) is a random, unique code of fixed length: eight characters plus a check character. ISO 24165 covers every fungible digital asset that uses distributed ledger technology for issuance, storage, exchange, record of ownership or transaction validation. That includes crypto coins such as bitcoin, stablecoins and tokenized securities. ISO published the standard in September 2021.

Banks and funds identify a share or a bond by its ISIN and a company by its LEI. The DTI does the same for a token. The code is assigned to the token, not to the person who applied for it, and it says nothing about the token's purpose, value or legal status. DTIF assigns it on the basis of objective, verifiable information.

DTIF issues and maintains DTIs on a non-profit, cost-recovery model and follows FRAND principles, short for fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. The DTI itself is open: anyone may reproduce and use it at no cost, for commercial and non-commercial purposes. A token issuer or a market participant requests a new code through the DTI allocation form. The DTI registry can be searched on the website or downloaded as a list, and a search API with its own fee model serves firms that need the data inside their systems.

A Product Advisory Committee of market participants advises DTIF on the use of DTIs, on the issuance process and on product changes, and it arbitrates disputes about DTI issuance.

In the EU, the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) sets the rules for issuers of crypto-assets and for crypto-asset service providers. Its technical standards refer to the DTI. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/421, on the data in crypto-asset white papers, uses the ISO 24165 DTI to identify each crypto-asset, so that readers of the ESMA register can find a white paper and the main features of a token. If a token has no DTI yet, someone has to request one before the white paper goes in.

In Germany, BaFin supervises crypto-asset service providers under MiCA. MiCA in Germany and the answer What is the MiCA regulation? cover the licenses and the deadlines. For custody, trading and reporting teams, the DTI is one more reference field next to the ISIN and the LEI, and index and price data firms use it to name the tokens in their market data.

The Digital Token Identifier Foundation is the non-profit body that issues DTIs under ISO 24165. It is part of Etrading Software in London, the Registration Authority for the standard, and it keeps the registry of all codes issued so far.

ISO 24165 is the international standard for identifying digital tokens. It defines the DTI and the reference data that belongs to each code, such as the distributed ledger a token is issued on. Part 1 of the standard, ISO 24165-1, sets out how codes are registered and assigned. The ISO 24165 list of tokens is the DTIF registry.

Search the name or the short name of the token in the DTI registry on dtif.org. The digital token identifier search shows each code with its reference data, bitcoin included, and the whole list can be downloaded. If a token has no code yet, the issuer or another market participant can request one through the allocation form.

No. DTIF states that assigning a DTI gives no warranty on a token's features, purpose, compliance with any regulation or value. A DTI tells you which crypto token is meant. Whether the token may be offered in the EU depends on MiCA and on the supervisor, which is BaFin in Germany.