Stellar Foundation Invests in Marketnode to Expand Institutional Access to Tokenized Assets in Asia
Key Facts
The Stellar Development Foundation announced a strategic investment in Marketnode, an operator of digital market infrastructure in Asia-Pacific, on October 29, 2026. The foundation said the investment will support broader institutional access to real-world tokenized financial products on the Stellar network in the region. The initiative aims to connect asset managers and product issuers and distributors with accredited investors. The announcement places the collaboration within efforts to develop institutional access to these products, without setting a timetable for new steps. The foundation did not disclose the investment's value or the ownership stake it acquired.
Marketnode provides institutional infrastructure spanning funds, credit and structured products, and covering the issuance, distribution and servicing of tokenized assets. It also connects these products with established distribution channels and investors, according to the Stellar Foundation. The foundation says Marketnode is backed by Euroclear, HSBC, SGX Group and Temasek. This institutional network gives the company a base of participants in financial markets, while the Stellar Foundation's investment adds another party to collaboration on tokenized products. The announcement did not specify financial details or investment terms.
The investment follows earlier initiatives between Marketnode and the Stellar network, including making selected funds from BNY Investments available on-chain. On July 31, 2026, Marketnode said it would issue tokens representing those funds through its digital infrastructure for institutional and accredited investors. The company also distributes tokenized investment products available on Stellar from CGS International, Franklin Templeton, Maybank Asset Management and WisdomTree. These initiatives show the range of products passing through Marketnode's infrastructure on the network, from selected funds to products from regional and global asset managers. The investment announcement set no target for the scale of these products or expected effect on their use.
Marketnode Chief Executive Rehan Ahmed said the investment gives the company "an opportunity to deepen this work across Asia-Pacific with Stellar and our existing partners." He noted that the company's capabilities span funds, structured products and credit. Marketnode was founded in 2021 by SGX Group and Temasek, and operates the Gateway and Fundnode platforms for digital asset market infrastructure and fund processing. The investment reflects an effort to strengthen links between existing institutional infrastructure and products issued or distributed on-chain. Neither the foundation nor Marketnode disclosed the deal's value or details of the Stellar Foundation's stake.
The move comes amid a broader debate in Singapore about shifting asset tokenization from technical feasibility trials to commercial use. The Monetary Authority of Singapore said on October 9, 2026, that the challenge had become "scaling commercial adoption." Project Guardian, according to the authority, brings regulators and the financial sector together to develop common tokenization standards, with live trials and use cases in asset management, fixed income and foreign exchange. Marketnode said on June 26, 2023, that it had completed a trial under the project with HSBC and UOB to issue and distribute a natively digital structured product. These precedents provide institutional context for the investment as market participants focus on moving initiatives into arrangements that can be used in markets.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore said in a speech dated October 28, 2026, that institutions need confidence in the operational arrangements, risk management and regulatory treatment of tokenized assets. It said Project Guardian had worked to develop common standards and practices. On activity, Marketnode reported that Fundnode had processed more than 3 million investment fund orders, with a notional value exceeding 2 billion Singapore dollars, as of August 31, 2026. The company also announced on July 10, 2026, that HSBC had issued its first natively digital structured product in a private placement of U.S. dollar-denominated notes in Hong Kong. These figures provide indicators of activity on Marketnode's infrastructure in funds and structured products, while the two parties announced no timetable or quantitative targets for the investment's next steps.