#PrivateEquity
14 articles tagged #PrivateEquity — curated RWA tokenization coverage.
Caplight facilitates Citi's launch of tokenized depositary receipts on private shares
Citi has launched a new Digital Depositary Receipt (DDR) product designed to tokenize private company shares, marking the first time a major bank has applied the traditional depositary receipt model to the private equity asset class. The initiative aims to modernize the historically paper-based and bilateral trading processes of private securities by introducing institutional-grade custody and settlement. Caplight has been selected to provide its MarketPrice™ data feed, which utilizes AI-driven models to deliver independent, ongoing pricing for the underlying private assets. The inaugural DDR product represents shares in Kaleido, Inc., signaling a shift toward greater transparency and accessibility in venture-backed markets. By leveraging Caplight’s data infrastructure, which synthesizes signals from over 100,000 venture-backed companies, Citi intends to facilitate more efficient fee assessment and custodial reporting. This collaboration addresses significant liquidity and transparency hurdles, allowing private companies to maintain cap table control while expanding their investor base. The integration of institutional banking with specialized private market data represents a critical step in the maturation of tokenized private equity infrastructure.
Institutional-Grade Allocation in a Single Account: BiFu's Wealth Suite Takes Shape, Bringing Managed Funds and RWA Under One Roof
BiFu has launched its Wealth suite, an integrated platform combining traditional managed funds with tokenized real-world assets (RWA) to bridge the gap between institutional-grade private markets and retail investors. The platform offers five managed funds covering fixed income, gold, quantitative strategies, Hong Kong IPOs, and foreign exchange, alongside three tokenized private-market equity projects. By leveraging stablecoins for subscriptions and lowering entry thresholds to between $15,000 and $50,000, BiFu aims to democratize access to assets previously reserved for high-net-worth individuals. According to RWA.xyz, the broader RWA market has reached $38 billion in value with over 2 million holders, signaling a shift toward retail adoption despite a persistent supply scarcity. BiFu provides the compliance, smart contract, and settlement infrastructure, partnering with licensed managers like Duxton Asset Management and Wellspring Asset Management to structure these offerings. The platform's strategy emphasizes that while Treasuries solve yield needs, private equity and alternative funds are the primary growth frontier for solving access issues. This development highlights the ongoing evolution of RWA tokenization from a niche institutional tool into a structured, accessible investment ecosystem.
Securitize Surpasses $5 Billion in On-Chain Assets as Tokenized Funds Gain Momentum
Securitize has officially surpassed $5 billion in total on-chain assets, marking a significant milestone for the tokenization of private market funds. This growth is largely driven by the increasing institutional adoption of tokenized investment vehicles, which offer enhanced liquidity and operational efficiency compared to traditional structures. By leveraging blockchain technology, Securitize enables investors to access private equity and credit markets with greater transparency and reduced settlement times. The firm has become a central player in the RWA ecosystem, facilitating the issuance and management of digital securities for major financial institutions. This achievement underscores a broader industry shift toward the digitization of financial assets, signaling that tokenization is moving from experimental pilots to large-scale production. As more capital flows into these on-chain instruments, the infrastructure provided by Securitize serves as a critical bridge between legacy finance and decentralized networks. The milestone reflects the growing confidence of institutional investors in the security and regulatory compliance of blockchain-based asset management.
Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Capital brings tokenized private fund to Solana
Mubadala Capital, the asset management arm of Abu Dhabi's $385 billion sovereign wealth fund, has launched a tokenized version of its private markets fund. Developed in collaboration with Coinbase and the tokenization firm KAIO, the initiative went live on July 23, 2026, across the Base, Solana, and Sui blockchains. The fund has already secured approximately $75 million in onchain capital, marking a significant milestone as Coinbase utilizes the asset for its own treasury management. This development highlights a shift from pilot programs to operational deployment within the $17 billion tokenized asset market. While public securities like Treasuries currently dominate the sector, Mubadala's entry into private market tokenization signals growing institutional interest in complex asset classes. The move leverages the high-speed, low-cost infrastructure of networks like Solana, which recently saw tokenized equity trading reach $5.8 billion. By restricting access to qualified and accredited investors, the project maintains strict regulatory compliance while modernizing traditional private equity and credit workflows.
uMINT Becomes Available on 1exchange, Expanding Regulated Secondary Market Access for Eligible Investors
The private equity token uMINT has officially launched on 1exchange, a private securities exchange regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. This listing enables eligible investors to trade tokenized private equity interests in a regulated secondary market environment, enhancing liquidity for assets that were previously difficult to exit. By leveraging blockchain technology, 1exchange facilitates the fractional ownership and transfer of private equity, bridging the gap between traditional private markets and digital asset infrastructure. The integration of uMINT onto the platform represents a significant step in the institutional adoption of tokenized private securities, providing a compliant framework for secondary trading. This development matters for the RWA market as it demonstrates the practical application of blockchain for improving capital efficiency in private equity. The move underscores the growing trend of regulated exchanges adopting tokenization to solve liquidity constraints inherent in private market investments. As more assets like uMINT migrate to regulated secondary markets, the RWA ecosystem gains further legitimacy and operational maturity.
Connecting Closed Companies and Investors, Citi Launches First Tokenized Depositary Receipts
Citi has officially launched Digital Depositary Receipts (DDRs) for closed-market shares, marking a significant milestone in the tokenization of private equity assets. By acting as both the issuer and the custodian, Citi eliminates the need for complex third-party Special Purpose Vehicles, thereby reducing hidden costs and operational friction. The platform utilizes blockchain infrastructure operated by SIX, a regulated digital custodial and settlement institution, to ensure institutional-grade security and transparency. This initiative addresses the growing liquidity gap for private companies facing longer timelines for traditional IPOs. The inaugural transaction involved Kaleido, a Citi portfolio company, and investors from Citi's Wealth business line. This model allows issuers to expand their investor base without altering primary ownership rights or complicating capitalization tables. By integrating these tokenized assets into its existing Wealth platform, Citi provides clients with familiar, secure access to previously illiquid private market opportunities. The project represents a coordinated 'One Citi' effort to build an expandable, interoperable framework for future digital asset issuances across various blockchain networks.
Why tokenisation will spread to private market funds
The tokenized asset market has reached a valuation of $31 billion, primarily driven by the adoption of U.S. Treasuries and money market funds. While public markets have seen significant growth, the next phase of expansion is expected to shift toward private market funds, including private equity, venture capital, and private credit. Tokenization offers a solution to the traditional inefficiencies of these asset classes, such as high minimum investment thresholds, long lock-up periods, and limited liquidity. By leveraging blockchain technology, fund managers can automate administrative processes, reduce operational costs, and provide investors with secondary market trading opportunities. This transition is critical for the RWA market as it moves beyond simple cash-equivalent products into more complex, yield-generating alternative investments. The integration of tokenized private funds could democratize access to institutional-grade assets that were previously restricted to high-net-worth individuals and large institutions. Ultimately, this evolution signals a broader maturation of the digital asset ecosystem, moving toward a more efficient and accessible global financial infrastructure.
Citi's Tokenized Shares Test Whether Transparency Remains the Price of Liquidity
Citigroup has initiated a pilot program to explore the tokenization of private equity funds on the Avalanche blockchain, aiming to enhance operational efficiency and liquidity for institutional investors. By leveraging smart contracts, the bank seeks to automate complex compliance and distribution processes that currently plague traditional private market investments. This initiative represents a significant shift for a major global financial institution as it attempts to bridge the gap between legacy banking infrastructure and decentralized finance protocols. The project focuses on streamlining the issuance and transfer of tokenized assets while maintaining strict adherence to regulatory standards regarding investor identity and anti-money laundering requirements. For the broader RWA market, Citi's involvement signals a growing institutional appetite for blockchain-based settlement layers that promise near-instantaneous transaction finality. The success of this test could establish a blueprint for how traditional banks integrate permissioned distributed ledgers into their core product offerings. Ultimately, this move underscores the industry's transition toward a more transparent and programmable financial ecosystem where liquidity is no longer siloed within closed-loop systems.
Bybit Drops $20 SpaceX-Linked Airdrop As Tokenized Private Equity Gains Ground
Bybit has launched a promotional campaign offering new users a $20 position in SPCX, a tokenized product designed to track the valuation of the private aerospace company SpaceX. This initiative marks a shift in exchange marketing, moving from generic stablecoin rewards to themed, synthetic equity-linked assets. Bybit intends to expand this suite with more complex derivatives and structured products tied to SpaceX, effectively creating a synthetic secondary market for shares that are typically restricted to elite investors. While the move aims to democratize access to private equity, it highlights significant concerns regarding collateralization transparency and counterparty risk. The lack of clarity on whether SPCX is backed by physical shares or a perpetual swap model poses potential risks for retail participants. Furthermore, the offering places Bybit in a precarious regulatory position, as the SEC has historically scrutinized exchange-issued tokens that function as unregistered securities. This development reflects a broader trend in the RWA sector, where centralized exchanges are evolving into alternative brokerages for traditionally illiquid assets. The success of this product could trigger a wave of copycat launches across offshore exchanges, further blurring the lines between traditional securities and digital assets.
Citi launches blockchain marketplace for shares of private companies: Report
Citigroup is launching a blockchain-based marketplace designed to offer tokenized depositary receipts representing ownership interests in private companies. This initiative aims to provide wealthy and institutional investors with streamlined access to pre-IPO firms, positioning these assets alongside traditional holdings like public stocks. By utilizing tokenized receipts, Citi intends to create a more transparent alternative to the opaque special-purpose vehicles currently dominating private market access. The platform's underlying blockchain infrastructure is operated by SIX Digital Exchange, a subsidiary of the Swiss SIX Group. This development arrives as companies increasingly remain private for longer periods, capturing significant value before public listings. Unlike some fintech offerings that provide only indirect economic exposure, Citi’s approach focuses on formalizing ownership interests. The move reflects a broader institutional trend of leveraging distributed ledger technology to modernize traditional financial markets and address the surging demand for private equity exposure.
Citi looks to create tokenized shares of private companies, WSJ says
Citigroup is exploring the development of a platform to issue tokenized shares of private companies, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal. This initiative aims to streamline the traditionally cumbersome process of private equity investment by leveraging blockchain technology to enhance liquidity and settlement speed. By tokenizing these assets, the bank intends to provide institutional clients with more efficient access to private markets that have historically suffered from fragmentation and manual processing delays. The move signifies a growing institutional appetite for integrating distributed ledger technology into core financial services to reduce operational overhead. As major financial institutions continue to experiment with RWA tokenization, this development highlights a strategic shift toward digitizing private market securities. Such efforts could fundamentally alter how private equity is traded, managed, and distributed among global investors. The potential adoption of this technology by a global systemic bank like Citi underscores the increasing legitimacy and maturity of blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
Citigroup to launch blockchain platform for tokenized shares of private companies
Citigroup is developing a blockchain-based platform designed to enable institutional and wealthy investors to trade tokenized shares of private companies. By utilizing tokenized depositary receipts where Citi serves as both issuer and custodian, the bank aims to provide exposure to traditionally illiquid private equity markets. This initiative addresses the current trend of companies delaying initial public offerings, offering a regulated alternative to synthetic products currently offered by crypto-native platforms like Hyperliquid and Coinbase. Unlike existing perpetual contracts that provide speculative synthetic exposure, Citi’s model operates within a traditional financial framework focused on regulated custody. The bank is actively engaging with large private firms to participate in this infrastructure, which could eventually allow tokenized shares to be integrated into standard investment portfolios. This move signifies a major shift as traditional financial institutions increasingly adopt blockchain technology to modernize private market access. The platform will initially focus on non-US investors, with potential for expansion based on regulatory conditions and market demand.
Citigroup to offer tokenized shares of private companies for wealthy and institutional clients: WSJ
Citigroup is launching a new service to offer tokenized shares of private companies specifically tailored for its wealth and institutional client base. By leveraging blockchain technology, the bank aims to streamline the traditionally cumbersome process of investing in private markets, which often involves significant administrative friction and liquidity constraints. This initiative marks a strategic expansion of Citigroup's digital asset capabilities, signaling a growing institutional appetite for integrating private equity-style assets into blockchain-based infrastructure. Tokenization allows for fractional ownership and potentially faster settlement times, addressing key pain points that have historically limited access to private company investments. As major financial institutions continue to explore distributed ledger technology, this move underscores the broader industry trend of digitizing traditional financial instruments to enhance operational efficiency. The integration of private assets onto the blockchain represents a significant step toward bridging the gap between legacy financial systems and decentralized finance frameworks. Ultimately, this development highlights the increasing institutional validation of RWA tokenization as a viable mechanism for modernizing capital markets and expanding investment opportunities for sophisticated clients.
Hamilton Lane's Global Private Assets Fund launches tokenized share class
Hamilton Lane has expanded access to its Global Private Assets (GPA) Fund by launching a tokenized share class on the Polygon blockchain. This initiative, facilitated through a partnership with Securitize, allows qualified investors to gain exposure to private markets with lower investment minimums than traditional institutional vehicles. By leveraging blockchain technology, the firm aims to streamline the subscription process and enhance liquidity for private equity investments. This move represents a significant step in the institutional adoption of tokenization, as it brings a multi-billion dollar private markets fund on-chain. The integration demonstrates how traditional asset managers are utilizing distributed ledger technology to modernize fund administration and distribution. As major players continue to tokenize private assets, the barrier to entry for sophisticated investors is progressively lowering. This development underscores the growing trend of bridging traditional finance with decentralized infrastructure to improve operational efficiency in private equity.