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Digital Asset secures $135 million in strategic funding to enhance the Canton Network and accelerate tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) in institutional finance.
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The investment round features prominent financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Citadel, BNP Paribas, and crypto-focused firms like Paxos and Circle Ventures, underscoring growing institutional confidence in blockchain infrastructure.
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Yuval Rooz, CEO of Digital Asset, emphasized that the new capital will expedite onboarding of diverse asset classes, making blockchain’s transformative potential a tangible reality for institutional markets.
Digital Asset raises $135M from Goldman Sachs and Citadel to scale Canton Network, driving institutional adoption and tokenization of real-world assets in finance.
Strategic Funding Boosts Canton Network’s Institutional Blockchain Adoption
Digital Asset’s recent $135 million funding round, led by DRW Venture Capital and Tradeweb Markets, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of institutional blockchain infrastructure. The Canton Network, a permissionless layer-1 blockchain designed with configurable privacy and institutional-grade compliance, stands at the forefront of this innovation. This capital injection aims to accelerate the integration of billions of real-world assets (RWAs) onto the network, facilitating seamless tokenization and enhancing liquidity across traditional finance sectors.
The participation of heavyweight financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Citadel Securities, BNP Paribas, and the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) signals robust market validation. Additionally, crypto-native investors like Polychain Capital and Circle Ventures highlight the cross-sector appeal of Digital Asset’s technology. This blend of traditional and crypto investors underscores the growing convergence between decentralized finance (DeFi) and established financial systems.
Milestones in Canton Network’s Real-World Asset Tokenization
Since its inception in May 2023, the Canton Network has rapidly advanced through strategic partnerships and pilot projects. Notably, the collaboration with DTCC culminated in the successful US Treasury Collateral Network pilot, showcasing the network’s capability to handle complex financial instruments with regulatory compliance. Further, the October 2024 pilot involving Euroclear, the World Gold Council, and Clifford Chance demonstrated tokenization of gold and Eurobonds, reinforcing the network’s versatility across asset classes.
By March 2024, the Canton Network facilitated over 350 simulated transactions involving 15 asset managers, 13 banks, and multiple custodians and exchanges. These trials spanned tokenized assets, fund registries, digital cash, repo agreements, securities lending, and margin management, illustrating the network’s comprehensive institutional utility. CEO Yuval Rooz remarked, “Canton is already actively supporting numerous asset classes—from bonds to alternative funds—and this raise will accelerate onboarding even more real-world assets, finally making blockchain’s transformative promise an institutional-scale reality.”
Rapid Expansion of Real-World Assets Market Amid Regulatory Clarity
The real-world assets sector has experienced exponential growth, with the market valuation surpassing $23 billion in the first half of 2025—a 260% increase year-over-year. This surge is largely attributed to enhanced regulatory frameworks that provide clearer guidelines for asset tokenization, fostering greater institutional participation and innovation.
Recent developments include Alchemy Pay’s strategic partnership with tokenization firm Backed, enabling access to tokenized US investment products and broadening the utility of crypto payment platforms. Similarly, Guggenheim’s collaboration with Ripple to offer digital commercial paper on the XRP Ledger exemplifies the integration of traditional fixed-income products with blockchain technology, expanding liquidity and transparency.
Industry Outlook: Tokenization as a Catalyst for Financial Innovation
As institutional adoption of blockchain accelerates, tokenization of RWAs is poised to transform capital markets by improving efficiency, reducing settlement times, and increasing asset accessibility. Financial institutions are increasingly exploring Ethereum Layer 2 solutions and other scalable blockchain platforms to tokenize trillions in assets, signaling a paradigm shift in asset management and trading.
Market participants are encouraged to monitor these developments closely, as the convergence of traditional finance and decentralized technologies continues to unlock new opportunities for innovation and growth.
Conclusion
Digital Asset’s $135 million funding round underscores the growing momentum behind institutional blockchain adoption and real-world asset tokenization. The Canton Network’s proven pilot projects and expanding ecosystem position it as a key infrastructure player in bridging traditional finance with decentralized technologies. With regulatory clarity improving and market demand rising, tokenization is set to become a cornerstone of future financial markets, offering enhanced transparency, liquidity, and operational efficiency.
