ARK Invest Tokenizes Its $1.3B Venture Fund Through Securitize on Ethereum
RWA Signal Insight
PE/VCARK Invest has officially tokenized its ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) on the Ethereum blockchain in partnership with Securitize. This development marks the first time an ARK Invest fund has been brought onchain, representing approximately $1.3 billion in net assets. The initiative follows an amended order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued on September 21, which explicitly permits the fund to record share ownership via distributed-ledger technology. Despite the shift to blockchain-based recordkeeping, the fund maintains its original investment strategy as a closed-end interval fund focused on private and public technology companies like OpenAI and Stripe. Securitize serves as the primary infrastructure provider for issuance and investor management. This move highlights a growing trend of traditional asset managers leveraging blockchain for operational efficiency rather than altering underlying investment mandates. By utilizing Ethereum for ownership tracking, ARK Invest demonstrates how established financial products can integrate with digital infrastructure under existing regulatory frameworks. The launch is restricted to eligible investors and does not constitute an unrestricted public offering of tokens.
Key points
- ARK Invest tokenized the $1.3 billion ARK Venture Fund on Ethereum via Securitize.
- SEC amended order permits ARKVX to use distributed-ledger technology for share ownership.
- Tokenization does not change the fund's investment strategy or its closed-end interval structure.
- Portfolio includes major private tech firms like OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks.
Background
ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) is an actively managed, closed-end interval fund that provides investors with exposure to both public and private technology companies. Unlike open-ended mutual funds, interval funds offer limited liquidity at specific intervals, allowing managers to invest in less liquid assets like private equity. Securitize is a leading digital asset securities firm that provides the compliance and issuance infrastructure required to tokenize traditional financial assets on public blockchains.