Securitize, the platform focused on tokenizing real-world assets, announced the successful completion of a $47 million funding round led by BlackRock (Nasdaq: BLK).
The strategic investment also includes funding from Hamilton Lane, ParaFi Capital, and Tradeweb Markets.
This investment underscores Securitize’s efforts in “digitizing capital markets with blockchain technology.”
The contributed capital will fuel Securitize’s continued innovation and expansion “as it further solidifies its position as a leader in the digital asset securities ecosystem.”
As part of the investment, Joseph Chalom, BlackRock’s Global Head of Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships, has been appointed to Securitize’s Board of Directors.
Securitize Co-Founder and CEO Carlos Domingo said:
“We are thrilled to have the support of such distinguished investors as we continue to drive the digitization of capital markets through tokenization. In our view, the transformative potential of blockchain technology to reshape the future of finance in general – and tokenization in particular – is promising.”
Joseph Chalom said:
“At BlackRock, we believe that tokenization has the potential to drive a significant transformation in capital markets infrastructure. Our investment in Securitize is another step in the evolution of our digital assets strategy. We are pleased to lead this investment round alongside other participants and help foster innovation that will help meet the future needs of our clients.”
Juan Delgado, Hamilton Lane Co-CEO, commented:
“Hamilton Lane has a deep history with Securitize, having partnered initially in 2022 and since then enabling access to our Senior Credit Opportunities Fund (SCOPE) as well as our Equity Opportunities Fund V. We are committed to making the private markets accessible to a broader set of investors, including through digital first, token-based technology. Securitize continues to be a leader in this space and we are thrilled with this investment and excited to continue our collaboration.”
Other strategic investors in the round “include Aptos Labs, Circle and Paxos. Securitize will leverage the proceeds of the funding round to accelerate product development, expand its global footprint, and further strengthen its partnerships across the financial services ecosystem.”
The funding round coincides with “the launch of BlackRock’s first tokenized fund issued on Ethereum, the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), available to investors by subscribing to the fund with Securitize.”
BUIDL seeks to offer “a stable value of $1 per token and pays daily accrued dividends directly to investors’ wallets as new tokens each month.”
The Fund invests 100% of its total assets in cash, U.S. Treasury bills, and repurchase agreements, “allowing investors to earn yield while holding the token on the blockchain. Investors can transfer their tokens 24/7/365 to other pre-approved investors.”
Through Circle, BUIDL holders can “transfer their shares to Circle for USDC through its smart contract functionality.”
Fund participants will also have flexible custody options “allowing them to choose how to hold their tokens.”
