Ondo Global Markets Launch

Ondo Finance launched its tokenized equity platform, Ondo Global Markets, on Wednesday, offering non-U.S. investors access to over 100 U.S. stocks and ETFs on-chain.

The tokenized equities, first announced in February, have gone live on Ethereum and are backed by securities held at U.S.-registered broker-dealers, the firm stated.

Key Features

• The offering includes crypto token versions of major stocks like Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), and the QQQ ETF.
• Investors from Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Latin America can mint and redeem shares around the clock on trading days, accessing underlying exchange liquidity. This service is not available for U.S. users.
• The tokens are designed for free movement between wallets, exchanges, and decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols.

Partnerships and Expansion Plans

Ondo has partnered with BitGo, Ledger, Chainlink, and other infrastructure providers to support the rollout. The firm plans to expand its offerings to over 1,000 assets by year-end and to introduce the service on Solana and BNB Chain, utilizing LayerZero for interoperability.

Nathan Allman, founder and CEO of Ondo Finance, stated, “We saw stablecoins export the U.S. dollar by bringing it on-chain. Now, Ondo Global Markets is doing the same thing for U.S. securities.”

Industry Context

This rollout aligns with the increasing momentum of tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) in crypto markets, where projects are transitioning various assets onto blockchains to enhance access and liquidity.

In recent months, several trading platforms and exchanges, including Robinhood, Gemini, Kraken, Coinbase, and eToro, have introduced tokenized equities. However, some offerings faced backlash over potential issues such as limited shareholder rights and fragmented regulations.