Anchorage Digital, a federally chartered digital asset bank, has acquired Securitize’s investment adviser platform as it aims to broaden its presence among institutional investors amid the increasing adoption of digital assets.
Anchorage announced on Monday that it has finalized the acquisition of Securitize For Advisors (SFA), a lesser-known unit of Securitize, which is primarily recognized for its role in tokenizing real-world assets. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
SFA is tailored for registered investment advisers (RIAs); prior to the acquisition, it was already utilizing Anchorage for the custody of client assets. By bringing the adviser platform into its fold, Anchorage consolidates custody, trading, and adviser-facing tools into a single platform, rather than functioning across separate systems.
Anchorage operates an institutional crypto platform and is a federally chartered digital asset bank in the U.S. In March, it was chosen by Cantor Fitzgerald as a custody partner for Bitcoin (BTC).
For Securitize, this transaction allows the company to concentrate more on its core tokenization business, according to Carlos Domingo, the company’s CEO.
Securitize is advancing its real-world asset strategy and is pursuing plans to go public via a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald. Last May, it secured $47 million in a funding round led by BlackRock.
Securitize is behind BlackRock’s tokenized money market fund, referred to as BUIDL.
Related: Anchorage Digital adds HYPE staking support through Figment partnership
RIAs emerge as a key channel for digital asset adoption
Nathan McCauley, co-founder and CEO of Anchorage Digital, stated that registered investment advisers are “driving one of the most important waves of crypto adoption,” likely referring to the growing institutional embrace of digital assets through spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for clients.
RIA participation has been building over the years. This momentum accelerated in 2020 when the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency permitted federally chartered banks to custody digital assets, providing advisers with a compliant route to gain exposure.
Wider involvement followed the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in early 2024, which reduced operational and regulatory barriers for advisers and enhanced mainstream access.
The funds integrate with existing RIA structures, including broker-dealers and custodians, simplifying allocation for institutional investors.
Despite initial adoption, RIAs maintain control over substantial segments of the market that have yet to engage with digital assets.
“The reason we’re here today is due to retail channels adopting crypto ETFs and crypto more generally,” Federico Brokate, an executive at crypto issuer 21Shares, told Cointelegraph. “The next target is RIAs, and we expect the majority of ETF flow over the next five years to come from this sector.”
Related: SEC staff provides guidance on how securities laws might apply to crypto
