Ondo Finance Expands into Tokenized Securities with Acquisition of SEC-Registered Broker-Dealer

Key Takeaways:

• Ondo Finance acquires Oasis Pro to enter the regulated tokenized securities market in the US
• The deal provides necessary SEC and FINRA licenses for legal operations
• The tokenized RWA market is growing rapidly with nearly $25 billion in value
• More favorable regulatory environment under the Trump administration creates growth opportunities

DeFi protocol Ondo Finance has completed the acquisition of Oasis Pro, an infrastructure provider for real-world assets (RWAs). Crucially, this move positions Ondo to legally offer tokenized securities to US investors – a market previously restricted for most crypto platforms.

Strategic Acquisition

Oasis Pro is an SEC-registered broker-dealer, Alternative Trading System (ATS), and Transfer Agent (TA). This grants Ondo immediate access to the necessary licenses for legal operation within the US tokenized securities market, serving as their declared entry point into the regulated digital securities sector.

While financial details remain undisclosed, Oasis Pro CEO Pat LaVecchia will join Ondo’s team. Notably, Oasis Pro brings established regulatory credibility, having been a FINRA member since 2020 and serving on its Crypto Working Group.

Expansion into US Market

Tokenized securities are an emerging focus within the crypto industry, with early efforts largely aimed at offering tokenized US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to investors outside the US.

As recently reported, Kraken and Robinhood offer tokenized securities to non-US residents. By acquiring Oasis Pro, Ondo Finance aims to expand these offerings to US investors as well.

RWA Tokenization “Arms Race”

This acquisition follows hot on the heels of Ondo’s launch of the $250 million Ondo Catalyst fund with Pantera Capital, aimed squarely at RWA projects. Ondo’s CSO Ian De Bode calls it essential to stay competitive in the accelerating “arms race” for asset tokenization.

Tokenization is gaining traction among major industry players such as BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Multibank, and Libre, which are already active in the market.

Strong Market Growth

Together, these investors have supercharged the tokenized RWA market, pushing the total value of onchain financial assets close to $25 billion. Breaking it down: private credit and tokenized US Treasury debt currently dominate this rapidly expanding space.

Favorable Regulatory Environment

Industry adoption is occurring in lockstep with an eagerness among regulators to adopt crypto-friendly policies in a second-term administration of US President Donald Trump.

.In a recent CNBC interview, former SEC Chair Paul Atkins expressed strong support for tokenization, calling it genuine “innovation.” He also committed to moving away from the SEC’s contentious “regulation through enforcement” strategy, a clear disapproval of the policies implemented under former Chair Gary Gensler.