Securitize and Ethena Launch 24/7 $50M Liquidity Facility for BlackRock BUIDL
Securitize and Ethena Labs have activated a round‑the‑clock liquidity pool for BlackRock’s tokenized BUIDL fund, initially funded with $50 million and capable of scaling to $100 million.
Naomi JohnsonMarkets correspondent · via COINMAG
Key takeaways
- The facility starts with $50 million split evenly between USDC and BUIDL and can expand to $100 million within an hour.
- It allows eligible investors to trade BUIDL for USDC and back on weekends and holidays when traditional markets are closed.
- Securitize operates the pool while Ethena provides backing, extending a partnership first announced in June.
Securitize and Ethena Labs announced on Thursday that they have launched a 24/7 liquidity facility for BlackRock’s USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL). The initial pool is funded with $50 million—$25 million in USDC and $25 million in BUIDL—and can be topped up with an additional $50 million tranche within an hour, bringing total capacity to $100 million.
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How the Facility Works
The new pool enables qualified institutional investors to swap BUIDL tokens for stablecoins such as USDC, and to reverse the transaction at any time, including weekends and holidays when traditional banking channels are unavailable. According to Unchained, the mechanism is designed to give institutions continuous access to liquidity, eliminating the need to wait for markets to reopen on Monday.
Partnership Background
The facility builds on a partnership first outlined in June, when Ethena Labs and BlackRock expanded their collaboration to include Ethena’s synthetic dollar, USDe, within BlackRock’s Aladdin risk‑management platform. Ethena’s earlier social‑media posts referenced a “liquidity facility on BlackRock tokenized products,” and Unchained’s June report noted that holders would eventually be able to move into both USDC and USDtb, though the current launch only mentions USDC.
Implications for Institutional Crypto Trading
By offering round‑the‑clock redemption, the facility addresses a long‑standing friction point for institutional investors who park cash in tokenized funds but need to trade in markets that never close. Guy Young, founder of Ethena Labs, said the service reflects the reality that “digital assets operate around the clock, and institutional liquidity needs to keep pace.” Carlos Domingo, CEO of Securitize, added that the launch marks another step toward a financial system where liquidity is available whenever it is required.
What to Watch Next
The next indicator of demand will be how quickly the second $50 million tranche is tapped, especially during weekend periods. Observers will also monitor whether BlackRock expands the range of stablecoins accepted beyond USDC and whether other tokenized funds adopt similar 24/7 liquidity solutions.
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Naomi JohnsonNaomi Johnson is COINMAG's markets correspondent. She follows exchanges, prices, ETFs, institutional money and investor sentiment, and explains what moves the crypto market.All articles by the author
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