Ondo Finance has launched Ondo Chain, a Layer-1 blockchain designed to bridge traditional financial markets with decentralized finance (DeFi) by focusing on the institutional adoption of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). This new blockchain combines the security and compliance features of permissioned blockchains with the accessibility of public chains like Ethereum. Validators will be permissioned to ensure compliance and accurate data for asset prices and token backing.

Ondo Chain aims to address key challenges in tokenized securities, such as high transaction fees, liquidity fragmentation, and regulatory compliance. It will natively support tokenized RWAs, including those issued through Ondo Global Markets, ensuring seamless integration within the blockchain's ecosystem. Ondo Global Markets is a tokenization platform designed to bring publicly traded securities on-chain, providing access to stocks, bonds, and ETFs.

The launch of Ondo Chain is part of Ondo's "Wall Street 2.0" initiative, with major financial institutions like Franklin Templeton, Wellington Management, and WisdomTree advising on its design. The blockchain will also enable staking for tokenized real-world assets to enhance network security and facilitate asset transfers across different networks through native omnichain bridging. CEO of Ondo Finance, Nathan Allman, stated that Ondo Chain is designed to meet the highest institutional standards while remaining open for developers and innovators.