Ondo Finance Secures SEC Licenses via Oasis Deal – Here’s Why It Matters

DeFi just got a regulatory green light. Ondo Finance – the institutional-grade protocol bridging TradFi and crypto – just scored SEC approval through its Oasis acquisition. Game on.

Wall Street meets blockchain

The licenses (snagged through Oasis Pro’s existing regulatory framework) let Ondo tokenize real-world assets at scale. Think Treasury bonds – but on-chain and 24/7. Finally, a compliance bridge for institutions dipping toes into DeFi.

Why the SEC play matters

This isn’t just paperwork. It’s a backdoor for TradFi liquidity to flood into crypto markets. Ondo’s now positioned to undercut legacy finance’s 9-to-5 settlement cycles – while keeping suits happy with regulator-approved rails. Ironic, given crypto’s anti-establishment roots.

The cynical take: Another ‘compliant DeFi’ project means another 20% management fee structure. Some things never change.

Ondo Finance: A tightened grip

Just days after teaming up with Pantera Capital on a $250 million initiative to back RWA projects, the firm has now acquired Oasis Pro Markets – a MOVE that brings critical U.S. regulatory licenses in-house.

With this deal, ONDO Finance gained access to an SEC-registered broker-dealer, an Alternative Trading System (ATS), and Transfer Agent status, allowing it to legally offer tokenized securities to U.S. investors.

The dual strategy is clear: build the infrastructure, then pour capital into it.

About the acquisition, CEO Nathan Allman said,

“This unlocks the next major chapter of tokenized finance…This acquisition will empower us to realize our vision of building a robust and accessible tokenized financial system, backed by the strongest regulatory foundations.”

Utility over hype

Source: Coinalyze

Despite the strides, ONDO’s Open Interest on Ondo Futures barely moved – holding steady at $122 million, suggesting no major inflows or speculative spikes.

Source: rwa.xyz

However, Funding Rates flipped green at 0.0055, indicating that traders are slightly favoring longs. This shift signals a mild tilt toward bullish speculation, but not yet conviction.

While price action lagged, fundamentals strengthened. Data from rwa.xyz showed Tokenized Asset Value across USDY and OUSG nearing $1.5 billion—a clear sign that adoption is growing, even as speculation lags.

This divergence between on-chain demand and market price often precedes breakout phases in fundamentally sound projects.

Traders in “wait mode”

Despite back-to-back announcements, Ondo Price action has been surprisingly tame.

ONDO continued to trade sideways NEAR $0.78 at press time, with low volatility and a neutral RSI around 49. The OBV is trending flat near -57.9M, reinforcing the lack of strong buying pressure.

Source: TradingView

While bullish Funding Rates hint at mild optimism, traders appear to be holding back, likely waiting for clearer confirmation or stronger volume before making decisive moves.