United

Aptos

Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund

BlackRock

Digital securities platform Securitize has raised $47 million in a new strategic funding round led by BlackRock. Blockchain developers Aptos Labs and Paxos, and stablecoin issuer Circle, were also among the investors.
Proceeds from the funding round will be used for product development, global expansion and strengthening partnerships in the financial services ecosystem, Securitize <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/securitize-announces-47-million-strategic-funding-round-led-by-blackrock-302133075.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">said</a> in a statement.
BlackRock global head of strategic ecosystem partnerships Joseph Chalom will join the Securitize board of directors. Chalom called the investment in Securitize “another step in the evolution of our digital assets strategy […] that will help meet the future needs of our clients."
<figure><img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2024-05/9e8955bd-4bc7-4ed4-944b-69b0f0d20a5e.png">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Source: Securitize
 </figcaption>
</figure>
Securitize partnered with BlackRock as a transfer agent, tokenization platform and placement agent on the March launch of the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) on the Ethereum blockchain. BUIDL is BlackRock’s first tokenized fund.
BUIDL invests in cash, United States Treasury bills and repurchase agreements, and pays dividends accrued daily through a monthly deposit of tokens stably worth $1. BUIDL holders have the option to transfer their shares to Circle in exchange for USD Coin (<a href="https://cointelegraph.com/usdc-price-index" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">USDC</a>) stablecoin.
In the six weeks of its existence, BUIDL amassed a market cap of $375 million to become the largest tokenized treasury fund, surpassing the Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund (BENJI) by $7 million. There is currently $1.28 billion locked in tokenized U.S. treasuries and bonds, <a href="https://app.rwa.xyz/treasuries" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">according</a> to RWA.xyz.
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/securitize-issues-tokenized-assets-in-spain-plans-september-trading-start" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Securitize issues tokenized assets in Spain, plans September trading start</a>
Investment manager Hamilton Lane, which has worked with Securitize since 2022, also contributed to the fundraise, along with ParaFi Capital and Tradeweb Markets. Aptos Labs co-founder and CEO Mo Shaikh told Cointelegraph:
<blockquote>
 “Aptos Labs is […] a key participant in closing the gap between traditional finance and open finance in a very real and globally accessible way. With leaders like BlackRock and pioneers like Securitize at the helm, there’s no doubt that a significant piece of the future of finance will play out onchain.”
</blockquote>
Securitize is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as broker-dealer and transfer agent and is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) self-regulatory organization.
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/crypto-city-guide-san-francisco-bay-area/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Crypto City: Guide to San Francisco Bay Area</a>

Securitize raises $47M in strategic funding led by BlackRock

Cointelegraph

Other articles published on May 1, 2024

Shiba Inu: Here's Who Caused 15% SHIB Price Slide

Ethereum Struggles with Declining Prices and Key Levels

Vitalik Buterin Warns Against Hardware Wallets, Proffers Alternative

Bitcoin and the Fear of the ‘Deadly Cross’

Impact of Bitcoin’s Price Drop on ETF Inflows

Roger Ver Arrest Major Statement Made by Samson Mow

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!