Mantra unveils $108M fund to back real-world asset tokenization, DeFi

5 hours ago

The $108,888,888 money volition run an “open-arms policy,” welcoming real-world plus tokenization and DeFi projects astatine each developmental stages.

Mantra unveils $108M money to backmost real-world plus tokenization, DeFi

The Mantra blockchain web has launched a $108,888,888 ecosystem money aimed astatine accelerating the maturation of startups focused connected real-world plus (RWA) tokenization and decentralized concern (DeFi), amid rising request for stable, asset-backed integer products.

Mantra, a layer-1 (L1) blockchain built for tokenized RWAs, launched the Mantra Ecosystem Fund (MEF) to accelerate the maturation and adoption of projects and startups gathering connected its network, according to an April 7 announcement shared with Cointelegraph.

Mantra said it volition deploy the superior implicit the adjacent 4 years among “high-potential blockchain projects” worldwide, with concern opportunities sourced done Mantra’s web of partners. The fund’s backers see a wide scope of organization partners including Laser Digital, Shorooq, Brevan Howard Digital, Valor Capital, Three Point Capital and Amber Group.

Mantra CEO John Patrick Mullin said the money volition run an “open-arms policy, welcoming projects astatine immoderate developmental signifier globally with a peculiar absorption connected RWA’s and DeFi.” Mullin told Cointelegraph:

“The MEF thesis is to put successful top-tier teams gathering RWA and DeFi applications, arsenic good arsenic complimentary infrastructure, that volition some straight and indirectly enactment the broader ecosystem.”

Mantra aims to go the underlying infrastructure furniture for tokenized plus issues worldwide, Mullin said.

The motorboat of the money comes a period aft Mantra became the archetypal DeFi level to obtain a virtual plus work supplier (VASP) licence nether Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).

Investor request grows for RWAs

The timing of the fund’s motorboat aligns with increasing organization involvement successful RWAs, which are seen by immoderate arsenic a hedge against crypto marketplace volatility and broader economical uncertainty.

Global fears and uncertainty astir US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have impacted capitalist sentiment crossed markets.

Despite a broader marketplace slump triggered by US tariff-related concerns, the worth of tokenized RWAs precocious surged to a grounds high. According to information from RWA.xyz, full RWA marketplace capitalization reached much than $19.6 cardinal arsenic of aboriginal April, up from $17 cardinal successful aboriginal February.

Industry watchers antecedently told Cointelegraph that Bitcoin’s deficiency of upside momentum whitethorn thrust RWAs to a $50 cardinal all-time high earlier the extremity of 2025.

The world’s largest plus manager, BlackRock, has besides signaled enactment for the RWA space.

BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL) saw an implicit three-fold increase successful the 3 weeks starring up to March 26, from $615 cardinal to $1.87 billion.