Flagship Institutional RWAs
Two blue-chip asset managers brought regulated funds on-chain, proving that institutional scale
and compliance can coexist within web3 infrastructure.
Overview
In early 2024, the world’s largest asset managers began deploying regulated investment vehicles on-chain — marking a major milestone in institutional adoption of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). BlackRock’s BUIDL Fund and Apollo’s ACRED Token have since become reference points for how traditional finance can bridge into DeFi ecosystems without compromising regulatory compliance or investor confidence.
Both initiatives leveraged Securitize as a compliant issuance and management platform, validating that institutional-grade assets can now exist natively on blockchain networks with real yield, liquidity, and on-chain interoperability.
BlackRock “BUIDL” Fund
Impact
BlackRock’s BUIDL Fund demonstrated that regulated cash instruments can be safely tokenized for institutional investors. Multi-chain access widened participation to traditional money-market investors and validated blockchain infrastructure for real-world yield.
Launched
March 2024
Asset Class
Tokenized U.S. Treasury money-market fund (USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund)
AUM
$1.7B
across 7 blockchains – Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Arbitrum, Optimism, Aptos, and Avalanche
Yield
~5%
7-day SEC yield backed by T-bills
Key Stat
Only 62 wallets hold more than $1 B combined — illustrating institutional-grade ticket sizes and concentration among professional buyers.
Apollo “ACRED” Token
Impact
ACRED introduced institutional private-credit exposure on-chain, showcasing how collateralized lending and DeFi composability can coexist with regulatory oversight. It bridges traditional credit markets with decentralized infrastructure.
Launched
January 2025
Asset Class
Tokenized diversified private-credit feeder fund
Fund Size
$1.3B
feeder into Apollo’s Diversified Credit Fund – The first RWA built natively on Solana’s DeFi stack
2024 Return
11.7%
out-performing Treasuries
Key Stat
Apollo manages $735B AUM globally. ACRED marks its first step toward multi-billion dollar on-chain credit markets.
Success Overview
The Institutional Shift
to On-Chain Finance
Outcome
These landmark initiatives highlight how regulated institutions are now embracing blockchain to unlock liquidity, transparency, and efficiency across traditional asset classes.
Institutional validation of tokenized money-market and private-credit funds
Proof of multi-chain distribution and DeFi composability
Demand concentrated among institutional-scale wallets
Key Takeaway
BUIDL and ACRED confirm the RWA thesis. Regulated, yield-bearing instruments can now exist on-chain with institutional confidence — moving billions of dollars securely across decentralized networks.
Accelerate institutional confidence in blockchain-based financial infrastructure
Establishes a blueprint for compliant, yield-bearing RWAs at scale
Signals the beginning of full capital-market integration with digital finance