Ondo Finance, a leading tokenized real-world asset (RWA) issuer, has announced the launch of Ondo Chain—a new Layer 1 blockchain designed to accelerate the development of institutional-grade financial markets on-chain. This strategic move marks a significant expansion in Ondo’s ecosystem, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized infrastructure.
The new blockchain combines the security and compliance features of permissioned systems—commonly used by financial institutions—with the openness and accessibility of public blockchains like Ethereum. By doing so, Ondo Chain seeks to create a trusted, scalable environment where regulated assets can be issued, traded, and managed with greater efficiency and transparency.
👉 Discover how blockchain is reshaping institutional finance with next-gen infrastructure.
Bridging Traditional Finance and Decentralized Innovation
Ondo Chain is engineered to meet the rigorous standards required by institutional investors while remaining open to developers and innovators. The platform enables seamless integration between on-chain and off-chain financial systems, reducing operational costs, improving settlement speed, and enhancing overall security.
“Financial markets are long overdue for an upgrade,” said Nathan Allman, CEO of Ondo Finance. “Ondo Chain is built to uphold the highest institutional standards while staying open to developers and innovators. It tightly integrates on-chain and off-chain infrastructure to reduce costs, enhance security, and ultimately deliver a better user experience.”
This hybrid design allows Ondo Chain to support regulated financial products without sacrificing decentralization or accessibility—a critical balance for attracting both Wall Street players and Web3 builders.
Key Features of Ondo Chain
Ondo Chain introduces several advanced capabilities tailored for institutional use:
- Permissioned Validators: Trusted entities will validate transactions and ensure data accuracy, including real-time asset pricing and proof of token-backed reserves. This model enhances trust while maintaining regulatory compliance.
- Staking with Tokenized Real-World Assets: Users can stake tokenized bonds, equities, or other RWAs directly on the network to help secure the chain—unlocking yield opportunities without requiring native utility tokens.
- Native Cross-Chain Bridge: A built-in interoperability layer enables seamless transfer of assets between Ondo Chain and other supported networks, facilitating liquidity flow across ecosystems.
These features position Ondo Chain as a foundational layer for future financial applications that require both regulatory alignment and technical innovation.
Major Institutions Join the Ecosystem
Several prominent financial institutions have already signaled their support for Ondo Chain, including Franklin Templeton, Wellington Management, and WisdomTree. These partners will provide strategic input into the blockchain’s governance and technical design, ensuring it meets real-world institutional needs.
Their involvement underscores growing confidence in blockchain-based financial infrastructure among traditional asset managers. As more institutions explore digital asset strategies, platforms like Ondo Chain offer a compliant, secure pathway to on-chain operations.
Expanding the RWA Ecosystem: Ondo Global Markets
In parallel with the blockchain launch, Ondo Finance recently introduced Ondo Global Markets, a new platform enabling investors to gain on-chain exposure to over 1,000 securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. This includes individual equities and fixed-income ETFs.
“Ondo Global Markets will do for securities what stablecoins did for the U.S. dollar,” Ondo stated earlier this week. The platform aims to bring the benefits of blockchain—such as 24/7 trading, faster settlement, and programmable finance—to traditional asset classes.
By tokenizing these instruments, Ondo Global Markets lowers entry barriers for global investors and opens new avenues for fractional ownership and automated portfolio management.
👉 Explore how tokenization is unlocking access to global financial markets.
Strong Market Position Backed by Data
According to DeFiLlama, Ondo Finance currently manages over $653 million in total value locked (TVL), reflecting strong adoption of its existing RWA products. This positions Ondo as one of the top players in the rapidly growing tokenized asset sector.
The launch of Ondo Chain is expected to further boost TVL by enabling new types of financial applications—from on-chain money market funds to decentralized bond exchanges—built on a compliant, high-performance base layer.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Ondo Chain?
Ondo Chain is a new Layer 1 blockchain developed by Ondo Finance to support institutional-grade financial applications. It blends permissioned validation for compliance with public blockchain accessibility for developers.
How does Ondo Chain differ from other blockchains?
Unlike most public chains, Ondo Chain incorporates regulated financial standards, allowing institutions to participate securely. It also supports staking with real-world assets and offers native cross-chain interoperability.
Who is backing Ondo Finance?
Major financial institutions such as Franklin Templeton, Wellington Management, and WisdomTree are actively involved in shaping Ondo Chain’s development and governance.
What are tokenized real-world assets (RWAs)?
Tokenized RWAs are digital representations of physical or traditional financial assets—like bonds, stocks, or real estate—on a blockchain. They enable fractional ownership, increased liquidity, and automated management.
Can anyone build on Ondo Chain?
Yes. While designed for institutional use, Ondo Chain remains open to developers. Its architecture supports smart contracts and decentralized applications focused on compliant financial services.
Is Ondo Chain related to Ethereum?
Ondo Chain is an independent Layer 1 but maintains compatibility with Ethereum’s tooling and ecosystem standards. Its native bridge allows seamless asset transfers between networks.
👉 Learn how developers can build compliant financial apps on cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure.
The Future of On-Chain Institutional Finance
With the dual launch of Ondo Chain and Ondo Global Markets, Ondo Finance is positioning itself at the forefront of the tokenized asset revolution. As regulatory frameworks evolve and demand for transparent, efficient financial systems grows, solutions like Ondo’s offer a viable blueprint for the future.
By uniting compliance with innovation, Ondo is not just expanding its product suite—it’s helping redefine how global capital markets operate in the digital age. Whether you're an investor, developer, or institution, the shift toward on-chain finance is no longer speculative. It’s underway—and Ondo is building the rails.