BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) Launches New Tokenized Fund on Ethereum

The crypto markets responded positively to BlackRock's announcement, with ONDO, the native token of Ondo Finance, showing a significant increase in value.

Crypto Daily - The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock (NYSE:BLK), has launched a new tokenized fund on Ethereum, according to a March 19 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The fund, which is being launched in partnership with Securitize, aims to increase market accessibility and the tokenization of real-world assets. The fund will invest in a variety of assets, including equities, fixed income, and real estate. It will also pay a management fee of 0.35% to an institutional management and administrative service provider.

The crypto markets responded positively to BlackRock’s announcement, with ONDO, the native token of Ondo Finance, showing a significant increase in value. Ondo Finance is a platform that facilitates the tokenization of real-world assets. According to data from CoinMarketCap, the ONDO token is trading at $0.55 after registering an increase of nearly 35% over the past 24 hours despite the drop in the overall market. Another RWA token, Ribbon Finance (RBN), registered an increase of over 9% following the announcement.

Announcing its new fund, BlackRock stated that it would be a diversified portfolio of tokenized U.S. and foreign securities, investing in equities, fixed income, and real estate. The fund, which will be open to both accredited and unaccredited investors, will be managed by an institutional management and administrative service provider.

The fund will also pay a management fee of 0.35% per year of the fund’s net asset value to the service provider, which will be appointed by BlackRock. A use-of-token fee of 0.10% per year of the fund’s net asset value will be paid to Securitize for its token technology and administrative services.

The move comes as BlackRock is increasingly focused on integrating digital assets with traditional financial services. Earlier this year, the firm filed for a spot Ethereum ETF with the Securities and Exchange Commission and has been open about its bullish stance on crypto and the technology underpinning it.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in January, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink spoke about the importance of spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs as a precursor to wider adoption of tokenization in the traditional finance industry. He stated that such products would help in incorporating digital assets into conventional financial practices.