According to Cointelegraph, infrastructure provider Libre is introducing a new Web3 protocol aimed at bringing investment funds to the Aptos network. The initial funds to be deployed on the Aptos layer-1 include Brevan Howard Master Fund, Hamilton Lane’s Senior Credit Opportunities Fund, and BlackRock’s ICS Money Market Fund, which collectively manage over $91 billion in assets.
Libre, a joint venture between WebN Group and Nomura’s Laser Digital, will act as the core infrastructure for integrating real-world assets (RWAs) on Aptos. Libre’s Gateway DeFi DApps will enable accredited, professional, and institutional investors to access these funds onchain. This initiative follows previous deployments of the same portfolio on the Solana and Near blockchains.
Tokenization, the process of converting real-world assets into digital tokens, allows for fractional ownership and trading on blockchain systems. This method is particularly beneficial in private equity markets, where it enables smaller investors to trade and gain exposure to large, illiquid assets. Data from Dune Analytics indicates that over $1.6 billion in securities had been tokenized as of September 5, with global bank Citi predicting the tokenization market could reach $5 trillion by 2030.
Mo Shaikh, co-founder and CEO of Aptos Labs, highlighted that Libre is leveraging Aptos Ascend, a product developed by Aptos Labs, to deliver new asset classes and financial services. This ensures users benefit from the reliability and sophistication of traditional finance (TradFi) combined with the decentralization and security provided by the Move programming language on Aptos.
The Libre protocol, which went live in the first quarter of 2024, supports asset tokenization and smart contracts on the Polygon network. It also facilitates collateralized lending and automated rebalancing of separately managed accounts (SMAs), and offers crypto-native funds, including Laser Digital’s new Market Neutral Fund.
