Tokenizing Private Markets: Securitize and Hamilton Lane

Tokenizing private markets: the experience of Securitize and Hamilton Lane

Overview

Can tokenization open private markets to retail investors? In this MERGE Madrid conversation, Securitize (a leading RWA tokenization platform) and Hamilton Lane (a NASDAQ-listed private-markets manager) share their joint experience tokenizing funds, the vision of democratizing access, the distribution challenge and how DeFi unlocks new value.

What you'll learn

• Why tokenize private markets: giving access to an asset class largely closed to retail
• The partnership: how Securitize and Hamilton Lane have worked together on several funds
• The distribution challenge: neobanks, apps and the generational wealth transfer
• US vs Europe regulation: the Genius Act, MiCA and the DLT pilot regime
• DeFi for RWA: stablecoin subscription, 24/7 liquidity and use as collateral
• Composability: making possible what is nearly impossible in traditional finance

Session summary

The vision: Hamilton Lane explains why it bet on tokenizing private-markets funds (private equity, real estate, infrastructure and private credit): to democratize access to an asset class that, despite representing a large share of the world's wealth, had been out of reach for retail investors, making it cheaper, better and faster with blockchain.

The partnership: Securitize recounts how the two companies have collaborated tokenizing several offerings and how Hamilton Lane's backing as an investor has helped Securitize establish itself as one of the largest RWA platforms.

The distribution challenge: it discusses that no one has yet “cracked” retail distribution; it observes how apps and neobanks (with large user bases) are going blockchain-native and how the generational wealth transfer pushes toward digital “all-in-one” solutions.

Regulation: it compares the evolution in the US (from “regulation by enforcement” to the push of the Genius Act and the ambition for leadership) and Europe (MiCA and the DLT pilot regime, with a defined framework but slow approvals), with Securitize already operating with licenses in Spain and awaiting more.

DeFi for RWA: it details the case of Hamilton Lane's “scope” fund, modernized to be more “crypto-native”: instant subscription with USDC via an atomic transaction (on-chain delivery versus payment) and 24/7 liquidity by turning units into a stablecoin, thanks to a collaboration with Elixir and its deUSD stablecoin.

Composability and new value: it explains how, once the asset is on-chain and fully legally backed, it can be used as collateral to take a loan and increase the position, or apply techniques like “leverage looping”, unlocking possibilities that are very hard or impossible in traditional finance.

Watch the full talk

Watch the full recording on MERGE's YouTube channel, with Securitize and Hamilton Lane on tokenizing private markets.

FAQs

Why tokenize private-markets funds?
According to the conversation, to democratize access to an asset class (such as private equity) historically reserved for institutional investors and large fortunes.

What does DeFi add to a tokenized fund?
Instant subscription with stablecoins, 24/7 liquidity and the ability to use the asset as collateral, opening new efficiencies.

What is the state of regulation?
According to the session, Europe has a defined framework (MiCA and the DLT pilot regime) but with slow approvals, while the US advances with the Genius Act and much ambition.

Is this investment advice?
No. This content is informational and summarizes what was discussed in the conversation; it does not constitute investment advice. Consult a professional for your specific situation.