KAIO Secures $8 Million in Funding from Tether to Tokenize Emirati Investments

In a strategic funding round, Abu Dhabi-based tokenization firm KAIO has raised $8 million with backing from Tether and other prominent crypto and institutional investors. This latest round brings KAIO's total funding to $19 million, with new investors such as Systemic Ventures joining existing backers like Brevan Howard Digital and Further Ventures. KAIO specializes in creating tokens of traditional investment products, making them accessible through blockchain systems. The firm has already tokenized products from major companies like BlackRock and Hamilton Lane. With this investment, KAIO plans to expand its offerings to include credit, structured investments, and exchange-traded funds, including an onchain fund in partnership with Mubadala Capital, which manages $385 billion in assets. By tokenizing institutional funds, KAIO aims to lower the barriers to entry for investors, with minimum investments starting at $100 for eligible users. Tether's involvement in the funding round highlights the potential for stablecoin flows to support regulated investment products. According to Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino, KAIO's platform "unlocks new pathways for capital formation and investment by bringing institutional-grade assets onchain and making them more broadly accessible." KAIO's platform prioritizes compliance, embedding regulatory frameworks into its system and supporting regulated distribution in key markets like Abu Dhabi, the Cayman Islands, and Singapore. To date, the company has tokenized approximately $100 million in assets and processed over $500 million in transactions.