
Ondo Finance Moves Closer to Offering Tokenized Stocks in the U.S.
Ondo Finance just made a big play in the race to bring tokenized stocks to U.S. investors. The Ethereum-based DeFi platform announced Friday it’s buying Oasis Pro, a regulated digital assets infrastructure provider. The deal gives Ondo access to Oasis Pro’s regulatory licenses—something that could be a game-changer for its plans stateside.
But here’s the thing: Ondo isn’t the only one chasing this market. Heavyweights like Robinhood and Kraken have been making moves too, especially as interest in blockchain-based stocks keeps growing. The difference? Ondo’s betting on a more open approach.
Why This Deal Matters
Oasis Pro isn’t just some small-time operator. It’s registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer, alternative trading system, and transfer agent. It’s also part of FINRA’s Crypto Working Group, which means it’s had a hand in shaping how tokenized assets are regulated in the U.S. For Ondo, that’s a huge win—it’s not easy to navigate these rules, and having those licenses could speed things up.
Nathan Allman, Ondo’s CEO, called the acquisition a step toward building a “more accessible” tokenized financial system. That might sound a bit vague, but the key takeaway is this: Ondo wants to offer something that isn’t locked behind a single app or platform.
The Bigger Picture
Tokenized real-world assets aren’t exactly new, but they’re heating up. Right now, the total market sits at around $24.79 billion, with on-chain stocks making up roughly $425.9 million of that, according to rwa.xyz. Some analysts think the sector could explode to $13 trillion by 2030—though, of course, predictions like that should always be taken with a grain of salt.
Ondo’s been pushing into this space for a while. Earlier this year, it launched a platform for non-U.S. investors to buy tokenized stocks, bonds, and ETFs. Now, with the Oasis Pro deal, it’s setting its sights on the U.S. market.
And it’s not just talk. Just a day before this announcement, Ondo said it’s teaming up with Pantera Capital to funnel $250 million into tokenization projects. That’s serious money—enough to make some waves.
How Ondo Stands Out
The competition is fierce. Robinhood’s already testing tokenized stocks in the EU, and platforms like Jupiter and Chainlink are offering tokenized versions of Apple and Nvidia shares. But Ondo thinks it has an edge: transparency and permissionless access.
A company rep told Decrypt that while Robinhood’s offering is locked inside its app (for now), Ondo’s version would be open. Whether that’s enough to win over investors is still up in the air, but it’s a clear shot across the bow.
One thing’s certain: the race to tokenize real-world assets is only getting faster. And with this move, Ondo just secured a better starting position.