As RWAs cement themselves as crypto’s second-fastest-growing sector, a who’s-who of fintech and blockchain heavyweights are launching Ascend, a hyper-selective program designed to show startups into the standard-bearers of institutional adoption.
Abstract
- Ascend is a brand new elite accelerator for real-world asset (RWA) startups with stay merchandise and institutional targets.
- Backed by Odisea, Plume, Galaxy Ventures, and Anchorage Digital, it is going to admit solely 6–8 groups per cohort.
In line with a press launch shared with crypto.information on August 4, Odisea has teamed up with an all-star roster of backers, together with Plume, Galaxy Ventures, and Anchorage Digital, to launch Ascend, an accelerator solely for RWA startups with stay merchandise and institutional ambitions.
This system, which is able to settle for simply six to eight groups in its first cohort, gives hands-on mentorship from veterans who’ve scaled billion-dollar platforms, together with entry to a curated community of traders and regulators. Per the assertion, the Ascend startup accelerator will culminate in a demo day and potential entry to a $500,000 discretionary fund.
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Bridging the institutional hole in crypto’s fastest-growing sector
The Ascend accelerator arrives at a pivotal second for real-world asset tokenization, a sector that has quietly develop into blockchain’s most credible bridge to conventional finance. Whereas the $24 billion RWA market has grown practically fivefold since 2022, its infrastructure stays fragmented between institutional-grade compliance calls for and DeFi’s permissionless innovation. That is the chasm Ascend’s architects purpose to cross.
This system’s choice standards reveal its institutional focus: Solely startups with stay merchandise and measurable traction want apply. Not like typical accelerators that guess on concepts, Ascend targets groups already navigating the advanced realities of asset tokenization—from reconciling KYC necessities with blockchain’s pseudonymity to designing oracle programs that precisely value illiquid property.
“Actual World Belongings are gaining momentum, pushed by assist and curiosity from institutional traders, governments, and infrastructure suppliers searching for clear, environment friendly capital options. RWAs are now not speculative; the sector’s progress is strategic. We’re assembly this want by working collectively to develop the subsequent era of RWA leaders, equipping them with expertise, sources, and entry,” Chris Yin, CEO and Co-Founding father of Plume, stated.
The launch of the Ascend accelerator comes as tokenized U.S. Treasuries reveal the explosive potential of institutional-grade RWAs. What started as a $100 million area of interest in 2023 has ballooned right into a $7.5 billion market dominated by BlackRock’s BUIDL at $2.9 billion in AUM and Franklin Templeton’s BENJI, which hosts $750 million in AUM.
These merchandise aren’t experiments. They’re production-scale options attracting actual capital by fixing tangible issues: eliminating settlement delays, automating compliance, and unlocking world liquidity swimming pools.
Because the RWA sector pushes towards broader integration with capital markets, the stakes have modified. Establishments are now not asking if tokenization works, they’re asking who can execute it securely, compliantly, and at scale. Ascend’s success will hinge not on hypothesis, however on its capacity to supply solutions to that query.
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