Former BNY exec launches NUVA, bets tokenization will remake Wall Street

Latest developments: NUVA is positioning itself as a chain-agnostic marketplace for tokenized financial assets.

NUVA launched with nearly $19 billion in tokenized home equity lines of credit ad Treasuries from Figure Technologies, according to CEO Anthony Moro.

Moro joined CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie on Public Keys.

Moro, a former BNY Mellon executive, said the company believes "every single financial asset in the entire world is going to be tokenized over the next decade."

The Ethereum-based platform is designed to connect issuers and investors seeking yield-bearing tokenized assets.

NUVA 's partners include Animoca Brands, which Moro said will help distribute products globally through its crypto network.

Why it matters: NUVA is betting regulated tokenized securities can bridge traditional finance and decentralized finance.

Moro said NUVA embraces regulation instead of trying to "break things first and then ask permission later."

One of the platform's flagship products is a yield-bearing stablecoin structure registered with the SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Moro said the product avoids some of the ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding stablecoin yield debates in Congress because it is structured as a registered security.

The platform also enables permissioned real-world assets to be packaged into blockchain-based tokens that can trade more freely on Ethereum.

The context: Moro sees his decades in traditional finance as a precursor to crypto tokenization.

Moro spent 22 years at BNY Mellon, primarily in the American Depositary Receipt business, which allows foreign shares to trade in U.S. markets.

He compared ADRs to crypto vault structures, saying both transform one type of financial asset into another tradable format.

Moro said blockchain infrastructure simplifies functions like custody, clearing and trading that have historically required layers of financial intermediaries.

"We're at that moment today with NUVA," Moro said, comparing crypto's current stage to the early days of the New York Stock Exchange.

Broader view: NUVA is targeting global demand for U.S. dollar-denominated yield products.

Moro said many investors outside the U.S. lack access to high-quality U.S. income-generating assets.

He argued tokenized products backed by U.S. real estate loans could appeal to users in underbanked regions who only need a crypto wallet for access.

NUVA plans to operate continuously on-chain, allowing users to access products "24/7, 365" rather than during traditional market hours.

Moro said the company's global ambitions reduce its dependence on U.S. regulatory outcomes alone.

Worth watching: NUVA plans to introduce a token tied to platform ownership and future fee generation.

Moro said more than 50% of the platform will ultimately be owned by users through a future token.

Users currently accumulate points for using the platform, which Moro said will later convert into NUVA tokens.

Moro acknowledged skepticism around crypto token launches after many poorly received token generation events in recent years.

He argued NUVA's token would differ because it is tied to ownership in a platform that generates transaction fees from real-world asset activity.