Republic Digital, part of Republic, has revealed an investment in Centrifuge, further committing itself to digital assets and tokenization. Republic is the largest online capital formation platform in the world. In recent years, digital assets have played an increasingly significant role as the company expands beyond its early-stage investment offerings.
Republic Digital, founded in 2022, reports over $165 million in assets under management, offering opportunities across tradeable digital investments using a “fundamental and active trading approach.” Republic acquired the operation in 2024.
Tokenization typically references taking real-world assets (RWAs) and digitizing them – frequently securities. Centrifuge is a tokenization platform focused on financial products. The company reports over 1700 assets tokenized and $1.15 billion in assets financed. Centrifuge serves both asset managers and individual investors. The move by Republic is emblematic of the shift to digital assets for all investments.
The size of the investment made by Republic Digital was not shared, but the company said it reflects their commitment to RWAs becoming “foundational” for the “next financial system.”
The investment is said to deepen Republic Digital’s “alignment with Centrifuge’s mission to bridge regulated assets and decentralized infrastructure.”
Joe Naggar, CEO and CIO of Republic Digital, said that tokenized treasuries have captured a lot of attention, and now the question is – what comes next.
“Centrifuge delivered that answer with JAAA. They’re not just experimenting, they’re executing. The infrastructure is live, the products are functioning, and the market is only beginning to grasp the scale of what this team has built. Our investment reflects strong conviction in both their leadership and long-term vision.”
Centrifuge CEO Bhaji Illuminati noted that tokenization is not a trend, it is a long-term architecture for the finance ecosystem. Illuminati said they have spent years building the platform and launching live products, and the shift from theory to execution is happening now.
“The next phase is about scaling access, liquidity, and composability. Republic Digital shares our conviction that real-world assets should move with the same speed and freedom as any crypto asset and we’re aligned on making that future inevitable,” said Illuminati.
Republic Digital notes that today, only $24 billion in RWAs are tokenized, and the potential market is huge at $125 trillion in the asset management sector.
The capital infusion from Republic Digital is expected to be used to accelerate product development focused on making RWAs transferable, composable, and liquid.
By turning RWAs into digital assets, issuers, platforms, and investors may benefit from reduced friction in the purchase, management, and transfer of these assets. Beyond reduced costs, improved security, and greater liquidity, tokenization is always poised to increase the type of investible assets globally.
Today, all investment platforms are pursuing a digital asset strategy or, at the very least, reviewing the technology. Over time, aided by a supportive White House and regulatory environment, tokenization and digital assets are quickly becoming the norm.
