Libre, a protocol designed by the WebN Group and Laser Digital, has been activated to provide tokenized alternative assets to eligible investors. It leverages Polygon technology and was initially launched in January, with early adopters like Brevan Howard and Hamilton Lane.

Laser Digital, the crypto division of Nomura, collaborated with WebN Group, a hub for fintech and Web3 innovation, supported by Alan Howard, Co-Founder of Brevan Howard, and Polygon Labs. JPMorgan partnered with asset and wealth managers in November to tokenize, purchase, and rebalance real-time asset positions across multiple blockchains, while SC Ventures, the innovation and investment arm of Standard Chartered, introduced its own tokenization platform, Libeara.

Libre focuses on alternative investments and offers connectivity with money market funds from companies like BlackRock, allowing investors to retain and transfer their funds across different markets. According to Dr. Avtar Sehra, the founder of Libre, the goal is to provide comprehensive access to high-level alternative investments through value-added solutions such as money market options.

By utilizing asset tokenization and smart contracts, Libre ensures regulatory compliance and management of alternative investments. The protocol is built using the Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK), enabling the creation of zero-knowledge Layer 2 blockchains on Ethereum. The Libre Gateway integrates with various Layer 1 and 2 networks, enabling accredited investors on different platforms to access high-level alternative investments and money market funds offered by Libre.

Colin Butler, Global Head of Institutional Capital at Polygon Labs, anticipates that as the tokenization of institutional financial instruments progresses, innovative use cases will emerge as the next phase of development.