A new blockchain for tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) has officially launched, with Wall Street powerhouses and the Trump-backed crypto sector wasting no time jumping in.
Ondo Chain, a layer-1 blockchain developed by Ondo Finance, aims to bring institutional-grade financial markets on-chain, according to Thursday’s announcement.
The project has already attracted major attention—not just from traditional finance leaders, but also from Donald Trump’s crypto-aligned allies.
Trump-Linked Wallet Buys $470K in ONDO
Data from Arkham Intelligence revealed that a wallet tied to World Liberty Financial, a Trump-backed crypto project, purchased $470,000 worth of ONDO tokens shortly after the announcement.
World Liberty Financial, which provides crypto-based borrowing and lending services, has been heavily promoted by the Trump brand. The project was first introduced by Donald Trump Jr. in August, and former President Trump himself has endorsed it.
In a further surprise move, Donald Trump Jr. was announced as the closing speaker at Thursday’s Ondo Summit event, adding a political twist to the already high-profile launch.
1/ Today, we’re thrilled to announce Ondo Chain, our new Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for institutional-grade RWAs.
— Ondo Finance (@OndoFinance) February 6, 2025
Design advisors for the chain include new members of the Ondo Ecosystem: Franklin Templeton, Wellington Management, WisdomTree, Google Cloud, ABN Amro, Aon,… pic.twitter.com/a35GHB7OFW
Wall Street’s Bet on Real-World Asset Tokenization
Ondo Finance has enlisted some of Wall Street’s biggest asset managers to develop the blockchain, including:
- Franklin Templeton
- Wellington Management
- WisdomTree
- Google Cloud
These firms acted as design advisors for Ondo Chain, which is built to be Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-compatible, making it interoperable with Ethereum-based applications.
The project claims that RWAs on the blockchain will lead to greater transparency, reduced fraud, and new yield opportunities for investors.
“We believe that Ondo Chain represents a significant step forward in the evolution of institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure,” the team said in its statement.
ONDO Token Enters Top 35 Cryptos
Following the launch, ONDO has climbed to become the 33rd largest cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $4.3 billion, according to CoinGecko.
Meanwhile, Wall Street’s interest in tokenizing real-world assets continues to grow.
- BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has praised Ethereum’s role in the tokenization of financial markets.
- Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson has predicted that blockchain technology will revolutionize securities markets.
“[Blockchain] technology is going to open up a lot of really interesting types of investment opportunities,” Johnson said last year.
With big finance and political figures now eyeing RWAs, Ondo Chain’s debut could mark a pivotal moment in blockchain’s integration into traditional finance.