Ondo opens private markets with tokenized pre-IPO AI exposure

Real-world asset tokenization platform Ondo Finance is expanding into private markets with tokenized exposures to an unnamed pre-IPO artificial intelligence company.

The platform introduced Ondo Private Markets, offering tokenized notes whose payouts are linked to the value realized per common share of the referenced company at a qualifying liquidity event. The note provides economic exposure without direct ownership of the company’s shares.

Eligible investors will be able to hold the notes in self-custody wallets or trade them on secondary markets around the clock. Ondo said the first notes are expected to start trading this week, with products tied to companies in robotics, cybersecurity, biotech, infrastructure and other sectors planned to follow.

Ondo Stocks, its platform for tokenized US stocks and exchange-traded funds, has more than $1 billion in total value locked and offers more than 450 tokenized stocks and ETFs, according to the company.

Other platforms have also pushed into private markets. In April, Robinhood’s venture fund invested $75 million in OpenAI common stock to give retail investors exposure through its publicly traded closed-end fund. Citi was reported in June to be launching a blockchain marketplace for private-company shares.