cryptocurrency exchange Bybit offers eligible users access to tokenized bond funds managed by PIMCO And China Merchants Bank International (CMBI) is the latest sign of how digital asset platforms are using blockchain infrastructure to bring traditional fixed income investments to crypto-native investors.
The launch comes as tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) are gaining traction in both traditional and decentralized finance, as exchanges and asset managers seek to connect digital asset markets to traditional investment products such as bonds, money market funds and private credit.
Bybit’s new RWA Earn platform enables eligible users to subscribe to tokenized bond funds through infrastructure provided by open finance platform Plume and DigiFT, a digital asset exchange licensed in Singapore and Hong Kong.
The offering includes the PIMCO Dynamic Income Opportunities Fund (PDO), managed by fixed income giant PIMCO, which oversees $2.26 trillion in assets under management, and the CMBI Investment Grade Bond Fund (CMIGB), managed by China Merchants Bank International Asset Management.
The products allow users to subscribe using USDC stablecoins without leaving the crypto ecosystem; It’s a structure that Bybit says lowers the barriers to traditionally limited access to institutional fixed income strategies.
“Crypto investors have never had a simple way to access corporate bond markets,” Bybit head of financial products and asset management Jerry Li said in a statement.
The launch coincides with growing interest in tokenized financial assets. Industry participants increasingly see blockchain-based distribution as a way to increase accessibility, payment efficiency and transparency for investment products that have historically been available only through traditional financial intermediaries.
DigiFT provides the regulated tokenization and distribution infrastructure for funds, while Plume facilitates on-chain subscriptions and fund allocations through its vault system.
The underlying assets are held in institutional custody by State Street Bank for the PIMCO fund and CMB Wing Lung Trustees for the CMBI fund.
Bybit said no subscription, payment or blockchain transaction fees will be charged to eligible users.
The exchange has expanded its efforts to bridge traditional and digital finance in recent years, introducing products linked to stocks, commodities and other asset classes.
The addition of tokenized bond funds marks its first foray into institutional fixed income investments through the RWA strategy.
