London's more than 300-year-old stock exchange is one of the oldest in the world. Fast forward to the digital age, and it's thinking about how it can deploy new technologies like the blockchain.

Nikhil Rathi, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, hinted that the blockchain — which records data across a distributed network of computers rather than a centralized server — could find some use in the U.K.'s stock market.

"You can certainly see distributed ledger technology having an application in the issuance process," he told CNBC in an interview this week. "I can see that technology being used in settlement too."

Rathi said that the exchange has noticed an "interesting array of different ideas" from rival venues, adding "we'll see which ones gain market traction."

Switzerland's SIX exchange for instance is looking to launch a blockchain-based platform to speed up the trading process, while the Gibraltar Stock Exchange has launched digital versions of securities like corporate bonds.

London's market venue recently bought a minority stake in a company called Nivaura, which claims to have issued the world's first automated cryptocurrency-denominated bond.