MASTERS OF INNOVATION: MTS GOLD’S DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY

By NUTTAPONG (GOLF) HIRUNYASIRI, CEO, MTS Gold Group

The vision that sparked MTS Gold’s digital transformation was both simple and ambitious: to democratise access to gold trading by removing traditional barriers and creating a seamless, integrated ecosystem.

Our aim was to empower investors of all stripes, from seasoned professionals to those just beginning their financial journey. MTS envisioned a future where technology wouldn’t just streamline operations, but fundamentally reshape the very experience of investing in gold, making it smarter, faster, and crucially, more accessible to everyone.

At its core, this endeavour was about bridging the tangible world of bullion with the fluidity of modern banking. We sought to weave together digital wallets, intuitive mobile platforms, and frictionless payment gateways to bring real-time gold trading into the fabric of everyday life. Our aspiration was to make gold investment as straightforward as a quick mobile payment.

Turning Challenges Into Catalysts

MTS’ journey to becoming a leader in the digital gold market was not without its share of obstacles. We faced skepticism, particularly from traditional investors who viewed digital innovation with caution in a sector historically anchored in physical assets. The regulatory landscape also posed significant challenges, demanding careful navigation to ensure our innovative products aligned with stringent financial compliance frameworks. On the technical front, achieving seamless, real-time synchronisation between our trading platforms and established banking systems required significant ingenuity and perseverance.

However, at MTS, we chose not to see these hurdles as roadblocks. Instead, they became catalysts – opportunities to cultivate trust, foster transparency, and strengthen resilience. By engaging proactively with regulatory bodies and prioritising comprehensive user education, we transformed these initial challenges into the very bedrock of our subsequent growth.

Our technological approach at MTS rests on three core principles that guide every innovation we pursue. First, we believe innovation must be customer-centric. Every product and feature we develop is rooted in a desire to solve tangible investor pain points, ensuring that our technology delivers genuine and meaningful value. Second, we are committed to seamless financial integration. Our goal is to unify gold trading with the everyday convenience of banking activities to create an intuitive and fluid user experience that feels natural. Finally, we prioritise building platforms that are not only agile and scalable to meet evolving investor needs but also secure to the highest banking standards, safeguarding the trust our users place in us.

Purpose-Built Innovation: Addressing Market Gaps

Driven by these principles, we embarked on a mission to address critical gaps within the market through carefully considered innovation. Our MGB-GOLD SAVINGS product directly tackles the high barriers traditionally associated with gold investment, such as substantial capital requirements and complex trading knowledge. By enabling our users to start saving in gold with amounts as small as 150 Thai baht (S$5.87), we essentially created a “digital piggy bank” for bullion. This innovation makes gold ownership accessible to a broader audience, particularly younger investors who may be new to trading but are keen to preserve their wealth.

Recognising that liquidity had long been a pain point for gold investors, we forged a strategic partnership with Krung Thai Bank to introduce the MTSXKTB – GOLD WALLET. Traditionally, converting gold investments back into cash could be a cumbersome process. Our Gold Wallet revolutionises this by enabling our users to buy, sell, and transfer gold in real time, directly within their familiar mobile banking environment. This integration with a trusted state-owned bank not only enhances convenience but also instills confidence, positioning gold a natural and accessible extension of everyday financial tools.

Further expanding our reach and catering to different investor needs, we launched MTSXDIME, an investment-grade gold trading platform developed in collaboration with DIME Securities. Recognizing the scarcity of sophisticated, digitally native trading solutions specifically for gold, MTSXDIME offers depth, speed, and market intelligence. By combining DIME’s expertise in market execution with MTS’ deep roots in commodity markets, we’ve created a platform designed for serious investors who require more than basic buy-and-sell functionality.

Our commitment to accessibility extends to our collaboration with Kasikorn Bank (KBank), a forward-thinking and retail-friendly institution. Through this partnership, we’ve created a direct pathway for KBank customers to integrate gold investment seamlessly into their existing banking relationship, simplifying wealth management for a broad user base.

These partnerships were more than just strategic alliances, but synergistic collaborations that amplified the unique strengths of each participant. Krung Thai Bank provided unparalleled credibility, reach, and digital infrastructure that aligned perfectly with our vision for mass-market gold accessibility. DIME Securities brought rigorous capital markets expertise and advanced trading systems, elevating our trading offerings. KBank brought access to a vast and digitally engaged customer base, making it a natural ally in our goal of embedding gold into everyday financial behaviour. These strategic partnerships were about co-creating value with institutions that share MTS’s innovative spirit and commitment to progress.

Looking Ahead: Borderless and Frictionless Gold

Looking ahead, MTS envisions a future where investing in gold transcends geographical boundaries and operates with unprecedented ease. We see the transformative potential of blockchain and tokenisation in enabling fractional gold ownership and the efficiency of smart contracts. We anticipate AI-driven insights providing investors with increasingly precise guidance. Perhaps most excitingly, we are actively exploring a future where gold can be seamlessly integrated into everyday transactions through the next generation of digital wallets, making it as readily spendable as fiat currency. Our long-term ambition is both straightforward and profound: to establish gold as the most liquid, trusted, and technologically advanced asset class globally – accessible to everyone, from individuals in rural communities to sophisticated hedge fund managers.

At MTS Gold, we are not only observers in the evolving landscape – we are a thought leader and active partaker. By embracing innovation through strategic foresight, innovative technology and meaningful partnerships, we are redefining what it means to invest gold in the 21st century. We are proud to be not only a precious metal trading house, but a global institution that is a driving force for innovation, and leading the way forward for a new era of financial empowerment.

Nuttapong Hirunyasiri is the CEO of MTS Gold Group, one of Thailand’s top 10 companies and top 3 bullion companies. He started MTS Gold Group’s first overseas office in Singapore and has been expanding the group business internationally. He focuses on product development and innovation for gold investment, with the aim of being a leader in providing the full suite of gold investment services in the ASEAN region.