Plume Network gains SEC transfer agent status to bring TradFi onchain

Plume Network, a layer-2 blockchain designed to host real-world assets (RWAs), has registered as a transfer agent with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) — a move that bolsters its ability to bring traditional financial instruments onchain and streamline the issuance of tokenized securities.

The company announced its registration on social media, saying the step supports its broader mission of migrating securities markets onto blockchain infrastructure.

Transfer agents traditionally handle critical back-office functions for securities issuers, including maintaining shareholder registries, recording ownership transfers and managing corporate actions. 

Plume said its registration allows it to replicate and automate those roles onchain, “linking cap tables and reporting directly to SEC and DTCC systems,” a reference to the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation, which is responsible for settling securities transactions. 

The registration marks a significant step toward bridging traditional finance and decentralized systems, giving Plume regulatory standing to manage tokenized securities under US law.

As Cointelegraph previously reported, Plume raised $20 million in a December funding round backed by Brevan Howard Digital, Huan Ventures and Galaxy Ventures to accelerate development of its tokenization platform. Since then, the company says it has facilitated more than $62 million in tokenized assets through Nest Credit, its institutional-focused fixed-income vault.

Institutional RWAs: Filling the adoption gap

While industry sources peg the tokenized RWA market at about $33 billion, reflecting the total value of financial assets now represented onchain, Plume Network co-founder and CEO Chris Yin says institutional participation remains far smaller than the headline figure suggests.

“These things move incredibly slowly — you have to show value, you have to show adoption first,” Yin told Cointelegraph at Token2049 in Dubai, likening the current stage of RWA development to the early years of Bitcoin (BTC) adoption.

Yin noted that most tokenized activity today centers on US Treasury bills and select private credit products — a trend consistent with broader industry data showing RWAs primarily concentrated in low-risk, yield-bearing instruments.

According to Yin, the true potential of tokenization lies beyond short-term yield products. “It provides an entirely new mechanism for fundraising, investor engagement, and cap table transparency,” he said.

Venture capital investment across crypto and blockchain has slowed sharply in recent quarters, but RWA infrastructure continues to attract funding, suggesting investors view it as one of the sector’s most promising real-world applications.

Beyond fixed income, interest in tokenized equities is also building. Platforms such as Robinhood and Kraken have introduced tokenized stock products, while the SEC is considering rule changes that could allow traditional equities to be tokenized and traded on crypto exchanges — a shift that could accelerate institutional adoption.

Magazine: Can Robinhood or Kraken’s tokenized stocks ever be truly decentralized?