Startale Group and Japanese financial conglomerate SBI Holdings have launched Strium, a Layer 1 blockchain designed to support the exchange and settlement layer infrastructure for institutional trading of currencies, tokenized equities and real-world assets (RWAs).
According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, the platform is designed as an exchange layer network.
“Tokenization is an inevitable trend, and stock tokenization is undoubtedly the next big market,” said Sota Watanabe, CEO of Startale Group. He added that Strium aims to bridge the gap between customary offchain financing and the onchain ecosystem, enabling regulatory-compliant dividend and royalty payments.
The system launch marks the first major milestone since the two companies announced their strategic partnership in August 2025 and is accompanied by a proof-of-concept demonstration to validate the technical foundations of the system.
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Strium will launch synthetic stocks before real assets
Trading will begin first with synthetic versions of U.S. and Japanese stocks and commodities, which represent derivatives-style instruments rather than direct ownership of the underlying shares.
The platform plans to expand into tokenized representations of real-world stocks and asset-backed tokens, which users will be able to access after passing identity verification and meeting local rules. A separate open layer will allow other users to participate without these requirements.
The proof-of-concept phase focuses on testing settlement performance, resilience to bulky transaction loads, and interoperability with both legacy financial systems and other blockchain networks. As a next step towards commercial implementation, it is planned to create a public test network.
“SBI Holdings brings a regulated financial infrastructure and multiple licensed entities to the joint venture,” Watanabe said, noting that group entities have already participated in regulated digital asset initiatives, including a planned yen stablecoin structure that includes Shinsei Trust & Banking and SBI VC Trade.
He added that discussions with regulators, including Japan, would take place at a later date as the project expands to individual markets.
Related: Binance confirms plans for tokenized shares five years after initial push
NYSE plans 24/7 trading platform for tokenized stocks and ETFs
Last month, the Recent York Stock Exchange and its parent company, Intercontinental Exchange, revealed they were building a novel platform for tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds, with 24/7 access and instant settlement using blockchain and stablecoin technology.
The system will connect the NYSE’s existing trading engine to a blockchain-based post-trade infrastructure, pending regulatory approval.
The move comes as Sygnum said in a recent report that customary financial institutions are moving towards blockchain-based infrastructure, with tokenization expected to go mainstream in 2026.
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