Securitize, the leader in tokenizing real-world assets, announced the successful completion of a $47 million funding round led by BlackRock.
Miami-based Securitize is driving the compliant digitization of financial assets through next generation blockchain technology. Securitize, or through its subsidiaries, is a registered broker dealer (member SIPC) and operates a primary marketplace, an alternative trading system as well as a top 10 transfer agent and has an exempt reporting adviser.
This investment which also includes funding from Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq: HLNE), ParaFi Capital, and Tradeweb Markets (Nasdaq: TW), underscores Securitize’s industry pioneering 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.
Joseph Chalom
“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,” said Joseph Chalom. “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.”
BlackRock (Nasdaq: BLK) is a global asset manager and technology provider with a purpose of helping more and more people experience financial well-being. They help millions of people invest to build savings that serve them throughout their lives making investing easier and more affordable. BlackRock advances sustainable investing because they have a conviction to deliver better outcomes for investors contributing to a more resilient economy that benefits more people.
As part of the investment, BlackRock’s Global Head of Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships, has been appointed to Securitize’s Board of Directors.
Carlos Domingo
“We are thrilled to have the support of such distinguished investors as we continue to drive the digitization of capital markets through tokenization,” said Securitize Co-Founder and CEO Carlos Domingo. “In our view, the transformative potential of blockchain technology to reshape the future of finance in general – and tokenization in particular – is promising.”
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.”
Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq: HLNE) is one of the largest private markets investment firms globally, providing innovative solutions to institutional and private wealth investors around the world. Dedicated exclusively to private markets investing for more than 30 years, the firm currently employs nearly 700 professionals operating in offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Hamilton Lane has approximately $903 billion in assets under management and supervision, composed of $120 billion in discretionary assets and nearly $783 billion in non-discretionary assets, as of December 31, 2023. Hamilton Lane specializes in building flexible investment programs that provide clients access to the full spectrum of private markets strategies, sectors and geographies.
“Securitize has built cutting edge infrastructure that enables traditional assets to move onto the high speed, modern rails of blockchains — enabling greater transparency, immediate settlement, reduced counterparty risk, and heightened programmability,” said Ben Forman, Founder and Managing Partner of ParaFi. “At ParaFi, we’ve invested broadly across digital asset and tokenization infrastructure and are thrilled to partner with Carlos and the Securitize team to enable this vision of the future.”
ParaFi Capital is a leading alternative asset management firm that operates hedge fund and venture capital strategies focused on the digital asset ecosystem. Founded in 2018, ParaFi was among the earliest investors in the blockchain industry and has evolved into a trusted partner by leading institutions globally. ParaFi’s investment and technology team pursues idiosyncratic opportunities across venture, liquid, and quantitative strategies with a focus on bridging traditional capital markets and blockchain technology. As a firm, ParaFi is committed to a culture of rigorous research, technical development, and institutional underwriting to enable exceptional results for our partners and portfolio companies.
Chris Bruner
“Tokenization has the potential to drive greater efficiency and accessibility across financial markets,” said Tradeweb Chief Product Officer Chris Bruner. “Securitize’s expertise in digital asset securities aligns nicely with Tradeweb’s focus on delivering cutting-edge technology that strengthens market infrastructure for our clients.”
Tradeweb Markets Inc. (Nasdaq: TW) is a leading, global operator of electronic marketplaces for rates, credit, equities and money markets. Founded in 1996, Tradeweb provides access to markets, data and analytics, electronic trading, straight-through-processing and reporting for more than 50 products to clients in the institutional, wholesale and retail markets. Advanced technologies developed by Tradeweb enhance price discovery, order execution and trade workflows while allowing for greater scale and helping to reduce risks in client trading operations. Tradeweb serves more than 2,500 clients in more than 70 countries. On average, Tradeweb facilitated more than $1.5 trillion in notional value traded per day over the past four quarters.
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.
To learn more, visit www.securitize.io