According to reports from CoinDesk, ARK Invest is tokenizing its ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) through Securitize, bringing exposure to sought-after private tech companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe and Databricks onto blockchain rails. The fund will be first available on Ethereum, with Securitize handling onchain issuance and the investor experience. As reported by CoinDesk, ARK made a strategic investment in Securitize last year and agreed to bring more regulated investment products onchain. The partnership builds on this existing relationship, with Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo highlighting the diversified exposure to private technology companies as a key draw for investors. According to the latest announcement from Securitize and ARK Invest, eligible investors accessing ARKVX through Securitize can hold a tokenized interest in the actively managed fund, with Securitize providing the systems for issuing those interests on Ethereum and managing the investor experience.
The tokenized fund holds significant stakes in high-profile private companies, with SpaceX representing the top position at 7.54% of the fund's holdings as of August 31, according to ARK's holdings filing. OpenAI accounts for 5.26% of the portfolio, while Anthropic makes up 3.86%. Notably, about 78% of the fund sits in companies without a public stock ticker, highlighting the venture capital nature of the investments. The fund was originally launched in September 2022 with a $500 minimum investment, positioning venture capital access for broader investor participation. The fund's net assets have demonstrated strong growth, rising from $208 million in July 2025 to $558 million by January 2026, as reported in SEC filings. However, the tokenized ARKVX shares are not listed on a securities exchange and no secondary market is expected to develop, with access remaining subject to investor eligibility and other restrictions.
The tokenization launch received crucial regulatory support when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved an amended order for ARK Venture Fund on September 21, permitting the fund to offer a tokenized share class that may trade on one or more alternative trading systems or be quoted through other permitted channels. The SEC's five-year conditional relief for qualifying venues to trade tokenized versions of certain U.S.-listed stocks provides additional regulatory clarity for the venture fund's structure. The SEC order took effect immediately, though the regulator's permission does not establish that shares are already trading on an alternative trading system. ARK's SEC application sets out how purchases would work, with investors paying the applicable share class's net asset value plus any sales or distribution charges, becoming shareholders once funds clear and the fund accepts the purchase. The fund operates as a continuously offered, closed-end interval fund with periodic repurchase offers, though ARK warns investors should not expect to sell shares whenever they choose.
The tokenized fund carries specific investment considerations beyond traditional venture capital access. The fund's annual expenses are listed at 2.9% after fee waivers, representing a higher cost structure compared to traditional investment vehicles. As reported by Bloomberg, the fund's size is approximately $1.3 billion, making it a significant player in the tokenized venture capital space. The fund operates as an interval fund, meaning it buys back shares only at set times, with quarterly buybacks scheduled according to the prospectus, though these may be oversubscribed. ARK emphasizes that no secondary market is expected to develop for the tokenized shares, maintaining the fund's closed-end structure. The tokenization approach allows investors to record ownership as a digital token on a public ledger, providing transparency and accessibility to the fund's private portfolio holdings.
As reported by Cantor Fitzgerald, the firm estimates approximately $39 billion in assets are currently onchain, representing just 0.01% of the $319 trillion held in traditional financial assets. Citi analysts projected that tokenized securities could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030 as their base case, indicating significant growth potential. Gacetta described tokenization as "the largest overhaul financial infrastructure has seen over the past century," with Securitize positioned to cover most of that lifecycle through issuing, registering, custodying, distributing, and enabling trading under a single roof. The platform counts 1,877 holders across 26 tokenized assets, with monthly transfer volume reaching $1.12 billion, up 178% from the previous month. However, the tokenized ARKVX shares are not listed on a securities exchange and no secondary market is expected to develop, with access remaining subject to investor eligibility and other restrictions.
As reported by Cantor Fitzgerald, Securitize counts 1,877 holders across 26 tokenized assets, with monthly transfer volume reaching $1.12 billion, up 178% from the previous month. The platform's growth trajectory supports the analyst's position that if the world goes onchain, a large share will go through Securitize. Securitize now operates with $5 billion in assets across 23 public blockchains, having made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange on July 2. The company distinguishes itself by offering a regulated tokenization stack spanning issuance, registration, custody, distribution and trading within a single regulatory framework. Securitize also plans to provide a daily net asset value and enable the fund interests to trade on blockchain-based markets, expanding beyond the current Ethereum-only availability. For ARKVX, the immediate arrangement keeps ARK in charge of the fund's investments while Securitize supplies the tokenization systems, with the companies describing the launch as bringing an established ARK investment product onto onchain infrastructure.
