For centuries, high-value assets like real estate, fine art, and private equity have remained largely inaccessible to average investors, locked behind high minimum investments and complex ownership structures.
Today, that paradigm is shifting dramatically as blockchain technology enables the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), making them divisible, more liquid, and globally accessible.
At the forefront of this transformation stands Eugene Ng, co-founder of OpenEden, a leading real-world asset tokenization platform that has rapidly established itself as a pivotal player bridging traditional finance and blockchain technology. “We built the first tokenized vault on the blockchain using smart contract technologies to tokenize traditional financial securities,” Ng explains, describing the foundational innovation that has positioned OpenEden at the cutting edge of financial technology.
Bridging Two Financial Worlds
With close to 15 years of experience spanning global investment banks, fintech startups, and cryptocurrency projects, Ng brings a unique perspective to asset tokenization. His career trajectory—from trading derivatives at Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and Citibank to co-founding innovative crypto ventures—has given him insight into both traditional finance’s limitations and blockchain’s transformative potential.
Prior to co-founding DWF Labs and OpenEden, Eugene was leading business development for Asia’s leading crypto bank, Matrixport,” notes a colleague familiar with his work. This experience positioned him to understand the challenges of bringing traditional financial assets onto the blockchain.
At OpenEden, Ng has focused on creating institutional-grade infrastructure for tokenizing real-world assets. Under his leadership, the company has achieved remarkable growth, with Ng having “managed to grow its assets under management by close to USD 150mil in a span of twelve months.” This rapid expansion underscores the market demand for tokenized assets and OpenEden’s effective execution.
The Mechanics of Transformation
Tokenization fundamentally changes how we interact with valuable assets by converting ownership rights into digital tokens on a blockchain. These tokens can represent fractional ownership of everything from real estate and commodities to private equity and fine art.
For Ng, blockchain technology enables secure, transparent, and tamper-proof digital representation of physical assets. OpenEden’s approach involves formalizing assets off-chain, then creating corresponding tokens using smart contracts that automate management and trading processes.
The true innovation comes in making previously illiquid assets more accessible and tradable. “Tokenization bridges traditional finance with decentralized finance by making high-value assets more accessible,” Ng observes, highlighting how this technology democratizes investment opportunities previously reserved for the wealthy.
Strategic Partnerships Powering Growth
A key factor in OpenEden’s success has been Ng’s ability to forge strategic partnerships with established financial institutions. Under his guidance, the company has secured relationships with “Standard Chartered Bank’s Zodia Custody, State Street, Bank of New York Mellon, Ripple and Moody’s Ratings.”
These partnerships provide OpenEden with institutional credibility while giving traditional financial firms access to blockchain innovation. This collaborative approach has been essential for navigating the complex regulatory landscape surrounding tokenized assets.
Ng’s strategic vision extends beyond technology to encompass regulatory compliance. OpenEden became “the first blockchain project in Asia to obtain a Bermuda Digital Asset Business Act (DABA) License,” a significant achievement that established the company’s commitment to operating within regulatory frameworks rather than attempting to circumvent them.
This regulatory-first mindset reflects Ng’s broader experience in the financial sector. During his time in the digital assets industry, he “managed to build regulated offerings through obtaining the registered fund management (RMFC) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).” This experience proved invaluable for navigating the complex regulatory considerations surrounding tokenized assets.
The Triple Benefits: Liquidity, Accessibility, and Transparency
For Ng, the advantages of asset tokenization go beyond technology to address fundamental challenges in traditional asset markets. Three key benefits drive OpenEden’s approach:
First, tokenization dramatically increases liquidity for traditionally illiquid assets. By enabling fractional ownership and creating secondary markets for token trading, assets like real estate or fine art become more easily tradable. This enhanced liquidity benefits both asset owners and investors seeking portfolio diversification.
Second, tokenization democratizes access to premium investment opportunities. “Tokens can represent small portions of an asset, making it possible for multiple investors to own parts of high-value assets,” Ng explains. This fractional ownership model reduces minimum investment thresholds, allowing smaller investors to participate in markets previously dominated by institutions and high-net-worth individuals.
Third, blockchain technology brings unprecedented transparency to asset ownership and transactions. All token transfers are recorded on an immutable ledger, creating a verifiable history of ownership and valuation. This transparency helps reduce fraud and increases investor confidence—critical factors for mainstream adoption.
Navigating Regulatory Frontiers
Despite its potential, asset tokenization faces significant regulatory challenges across different jurisdictions. Ng has positioned OpenEden to address these challenges head-on, recognizing that regulatory compliance is essential for institutional adoption.
“Regulatory frameworks vary by jurisdiction, requiring compliance with securities laws,” Ng acknowledges. This complexity necessitates a careful approach to ensure tokenized assets maintain legal recognition across borders.
OpenEden’s strategy involves working within existing regulatory frameworks while advocating for thoughtful evolution of those frameworks to accommodate tokenization’s unique characteristics. The company’s successful acquisition of licenses in both Singapore and Bermuda demonstrates this commitment to compliance.
Ng’s background in traditional finance has informed this approach. His experience trading financial derivatives across major global banks provided insight into the importance of regulatory clarity for market development. At OpenEden, this knowledge has translated into a regulatory strategy that balances innovation with compliance.
The Future of Tokenized Assets
Looking forward, Ng envisions continued expansion of tokenized real-world assets across various sectors, with particular potential in real estate, private equity, and fixed-income products. OpenEden’s growth trajectory suggests significant untapped demand for these tokenized assets.
“Integration with DeFi” represents a particularly promising direction. Tokenized real-world assets can provide stability and diversification within decentralized finance ecosystems primarily built around cryptocurrency. This integration could create new yield opportunities while reducing overall volatility in DeFi protocols.
Institutional adoption is accelerating as regulatory clarity improves. OpenEden’s partnerships with firms like Standard Chartered Bank and State Street illustrate this trend. As more traditional financial institutions embrace tokenization, the market’s size and liquidity will continue to grow.
For Ng, these developments reflect a broader transformation in how we conceptualize and interact with valuable assets. “We raised more than USD 5mil from leading investors such as Binance Labs, Nomura’s Laser Digital and etc,” he notes, highlighting the significant investor interest in OpenEden’s vision for tokenized assets.
Overcoming Market Adoption Barriers
Despite its promise, asset tokenization still faces technological and market adoption challenges. Interoperability issues between different blockchain platforms can limit token transferability, while secondary markets for tokenized assets sometimes lack sufficient liquidity.
OpenEden addresses these challenges through careful platform design and strategic partnerships. By collaborating with established financial institutions, the company can leverage existing market infrastructure while introducing blockchain innovation. This hybrid approach helps bridge the gap between traditional and tokenized assets.
Ng’s extensive network across both crypto, fintech, and traditional finance has proven invaluable in this effort. As someone who has “been regularly featured as panel speaker for many mainstream, fintech and crypto event[s], and viewed as a leading voice and thought leader in the digital assets space,” he brings credibility and connections that facilitate adoption.
A New Financial Paradigm
For Eugene Ng, real-world asset tokenization represents more than technological innovation—it’s a fundamental reimagining of how assets are owned, traded, and managed. Through OpenEden, he is working to transform traditional asset classes by making them more accessible, liquid, and transparent.
The company’s rapid growth under his leadership demonstrates the market’s readiness for this transformation. By growing assets under management to approximately $150 million within a year and securing partnerships with established financial institutions, OpenEden has validated the tokenization model’s viability.
As blockchain technology advances and regulatory frameworks evolve, the tokenization of real-world assets is positioned to become a mainstream investment approach. With his unique background spanning traditional finance and cryptocurrency innovation, Eugene Ng continues to shape this emerging landscape—building bridges between established financial systems and the decentralized future of asset ownership
Read more:
Real-World Asset Tokenization: Eugene Ng’s Vision for the Future of OpenEden