The world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, has taken a significant step into the digital asset space with the launch of its first tokenized access to funds in Europe. The move represents the firm’s growing interest in utilising blockchain technology within its operations and provides investors with new options for accessing traditional fund assets.
Last month, BlackRock announced a partnership with Kinexys by JPMorgan to offer onchain share classes representing $311 billion in assets under management. These classes utilise Kinexys’ platform, acting as a translation layer between blockchain activity and existing fund registers. The rollout initially covers select BlackRock Institutional Cash Series money market funds.
According to Hannah Winter, Head of Digital Cash at BlackRock, the tokenised money market funds enable the bringing of high-quality investment exposures into digital formats. She stated that the initiative maintains standards around capital preservation, liquidity and risk management. The firm’s broader strategy has been outlined by Chief Executive Larry Fink and Chief Operating Officer Rob Goldstein in an essay published by The Economist.
Martin Small, BlackRock’s Chief Financial Officer, previously indicated during earnings calls a longer-term digital asset strategy for the company. Twelve tokenized share classes across six funds are being offered, with 24/7 peer-to-peer transfers enabled through smart contracts. These onchain share classes are available in 15 markets as of December 2025.
The asset tokenization platform provided by Kinexys by JPMorgan translates onchain activity into traditional fund registers while maintaining shareholder registers via the fund’s transfer agent infrastructure. Yield-bearing money market fund exposure is also provided. BlackRock manages $10.9 trillion in assets as of June 30, 2024.
The Block was the first to report on BlackRock’s announcement. The Economist published an essay detailing BlackRock’s broader ambitions regarding digital asset adoption. A key element remains the use of Kinexys’ platform to facilitate this transition between traditional finance and the burgeoning world of blockchain technology.
Written by Oliver Grant
Markets Desk
