KAIO Secures $8M in Funding from Tether to Revolutionize Emirati Fund Tokenization

In a strategic funding round backed by Tether and multiple crypto and institutional investors, KAIO, a tokenization firm regulated by Abu Dhabi, has successfully raised $8 million. This investment brings the company's total funding to $19 million, with new investors including Systemic Ventures, and repeat investors such as Further Ventures, Laser Digital, and Brevan Howard Digital. KAIO is dedicated to developing infrastructure that enables asset managers to distribute funds on the blockchain. The company has created tokens for products from prominent firms like BlackRock, Brevan Howard, and Hamilton Lane, making them accessible through blockchain-based systems. With this new investment, KAIO plans to expand its product offerings to include credit, structured investments, and exchange-traded funds. The firm is also set to launch an on-chain fund in partnership with Mubadala Capital, a private equity firm from the UAE with $385 billion in assets under management. By tokenizing institutional funds, KAIO aims to lower the barriers to entry for investors, with minimum investments starting at $100 for eligible users, significantly lower than the typical thresholds for institutional funds. Tether's involvement in this funding round highlights the potential for stablecoin flows to be channeled into regulated investment products. As the most widely used stablecoin with a $185 billion supply, USDT is often utilized for cross-border transactions, particularly in emerging markets. KAIO seeks to tap into this liquidity, directing it towards regulated investment products. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, 'KAIO's unique position unlocks new pathways for capital formation and investment by bringing institutional-grade assets on-chain and making them more broadly accessible, which helps expand participation in global financial markets.' The company's platform is designed with compliance in mind, supporting regulated distribution frameworks in Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore. To date, KAIO has tokenized approximately $100 million in assets and processed over $500 million in transactions.