Laser Digital Launches Polygon Adoption Fund for Institutional Investors

Laser Digital has introduced the Laser Digital Polygon Adoption Fund. This fund gives institutional investors access to MATIC's staking yields on the Polygon blockchain, attracting institutions like Siemens and JP Morgan. By collaborating with TruFin and its TruStake solution, Laser aims to make staking accessible to investors through the TruMATIC token, which has achieved over 5% APY in the past nine months. Targeting institutions like sovereign wealth funds and asset managers, the fund provides exposure to cryptocurrencies and a revenue stream beyond price movements.

Laser Digital Unveils Polygon Adoption Fund for Institutional Investors

New York—Laser Digital, the digital asset arm of Nomura, has today announced the launch of the Laser Digital Polygon Adoption Fund (the "Fund"). The Fund provides institutional investors access to the staking yields of MATIC, the native token of the Polygon proof-of-stake blockchain.

Polygon, a leading enterprise blockchain, has witnessed significant adoption by institutional and corporate entities. In the past year alone, Siemens issued a €60 million bond on the Polygon blockchain, while other German institutions such as Bankhaus Scheich and Melzer Asset Managers have also utilized the platform for tokenized fund offerings. American asset manager Hamilton Lane leveraged Polygon to issue digitally native shares in a Luxembourg-based fund. Additionally, JP Morgan and other participants employed Polygon as part of Project Guardian, a Singapore-based initiative enabling traditional financial institutions to experiment with public blockchains.

To establish the Fund, Laser Digital partnered with TruFin and Webn, a Web3 incubator founded by Alan Howard, in which Laser is an investor. TruFin, a portfolio company of Webn, provides the underlying liquid staking solution, TruStake, on which the Fund is based.

Laser Digital targets institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds, institutional funds, and private asset managers. While Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and exchange-traded products (ETPs) offer exposure to cryptocurrencies, staking presents an additional revenue stream independent of price movements, while simultaneously contributing to blockchain network security.

Accessibility to Staking

Despite the popularity of Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, notably BlackRock's $17 billion ITBIT, there is growing demand for staking funds. The 21Shares Ethereum Staking ETP (Swiss) currently manages approximately $570 million in assets under management (AUM). The SIX Digital Exchange and Boerse Stuttgart also provide institutional-grade solutions for Ethereum staking.

However, many institutions may hesitate to engage directly in staking due to its technical complexities. This is where TruMATIC, TruFin's liquid staking token that targets MATIC rather than ETH, comes into play. TruMATIC aims to generate higher yields than direct staking and serves as a passive investment vehicle, allowing investors to purchase the token while TruFin manages the underlying staking process. The current market capitalization of TruMATIC is approximately $61 million. Over the past nine months, TruMATIC has consistently delivered an annual percentage yield (APY) exceeding 5%, despite being launched only late last year.

The Fund will initially be offered in the United Kingdom, with plans to expand to other jurisdictions in the future. Laser Digital launched its first fund, the Bitcoin Adoption Fund, in September 2022.

"Laser Digital Asset Management strives to bridge the gap between decentralized finance (DeFi) investment opportunities and tradable solutions suitable for institutional investors," said Sebastien Guglietta, Head of Laser Digital Asset Management. "Through the integration of TruFin's technology and Polygon's AggLayer, we are unlocking access to Polygon-Matic digital assets in a secure and efficient manner."

At a technical level, the Fund leverages Polygon's AggLayer, enabling cross-chain composability and transactions. It aims to create a seamless cross-blockchain experience, while maintaining the security provided by the Ethereum network.