SBI Holdings Leads Major Funding Round for Tokenized Asset Exchange DigiFT

Another day, another nine-figure crypto funding round—because traditional finance just can't get enough of blockchain's shiny objects.

SBI Holdings, Japan's financial giant, just poured serious capital into DigiFT, positioning the tokenized asset exchange to challenge traditional market infrastructure. They're betting real-world assets on-chain will finally make institutional investors forget about those pesky regulatory hurdles.

The move signals major traditional finance players are still chasing crypto's promise of 24/7 markets and instant settlement—even if they still can't figure out how to properly custody a private key.

Because nothing says 'financial innovation' like putting old assets on new ledgers while charging the same outrageous fees.

Tokenized real-world asset exchange DigiFT has raised $25 million in total funding following the close of a strategic round led by SBI Holdings, Japan's largest financial group, as institutional interest in blockchain-based traditional assets continues expanding.

DigiFT operates as a licensed exchange specifically designed for institutional-grade tokenized assets.

The Singapore-based platform secured participation from Mirana Ventures, Arbitrum Foundation, Yunqi Partners, and Polygon Labs, alongside founders and executives from major technology and financial companies, according to a statement last week.

Henry Zhang, DigiFT's founder and CEO, indicated the funding will support product diversification across equities, fixed income, and alternative investments, while developing new on-chain applications for tokenized assets. The platform aims to enhance interoperability and capital efficiency through smart contract infrastructure.

SBI Holdings, which manages operations spanning securities, banking, and crypto infrastructure, positioned the investment as supporting the convergence of traditional finance and Web3 ecosystems. The Japanese conglomerate previously backed blockchain companies including Ripple and R3.

DigiFT holds regulatory licenses from both Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission and Singapore's Monetary Authority. The platform currently hosts asset managers including Invesco, UBS Asset Management, CMB International Asset Management, and Wellington Management, offering tokenized versions of money market funds, mutual funds, US Treasuries, and private credit strategies.

The platform recently launched the Peakwater Volatility Alpha Fund token, described as the first institutional volatility strategy available on-chain.