BlackRock has just entered the Real-World Assets (RWA) sector.
And has thus begun to implement its vision of tokenizing the world's assets.
Together with the tokenization platform Securitize, the world's largest asset manager launched the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) - its first ever tokenized money market fund.
Interestingly, the blockchain of choice wasn't some private or high-throughput network but the Ethereum Mainnet itself - something that surely can be attributed to the network's liquidity and security.
With a current fund size of around $110 million, BUIDL is already the third largest product of its kind, right after the products provided by Franklin Templeton and the Mountain Protocol.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐋 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤?
▶ First of all, the fund is backed by a mix of cash reserves, US treasuries and repurchase agreements (repos).
▶ Whitelisted investors initially need to contribute at least $5 million to invest, with plans to lower the minimum investment to $100,000 over time.
▶ In exchange, they receive BUIDL tokens for trading with other whitelisted investors.
▶ Similar to a stablecoin, the value of these tokens aims to be pegged to one US dollar, with BUIDL holders earning returns from the fund through daily token distributions.
Now, some might wonder about the purpose behind all of this.
The reasons are the benefits that come with tokenization.
• 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: Right now, the settlement of traditional securities transactions takes up to two days, resulting in higher opportunity costs. Instant settlement on blockchain rails fixes this.
• 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The programmability of tokenized assets allows for the automation of certain workflows, thereby reducing costs significantly.
• 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Currently, only accredited investors have the privilege to invest in BlackRock's BUIDL. However, tokenized products broadly hold the potential to open up access to something like treasury yields for a diverse new pool of investors, particularly those outside the US.
𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞
The success of this initiative might set the stage for a significant transformation in the digital assets markets, encouraging additional funds to follow suit and further accelerate the tokenization of the world's assets.
We at Blockwall will be keeping a close eye on these developments.
#Tokenization #BlackRock #Securitize #BUIDL #Ethereum
Venture Capital Investor
1mo💪💪💪 as usual!