BlackRock’s BUIDL Goes Live on OKX as Yield-Bearing Collateral
BlackRock, OKX and Standard Chartered have launched a joint infrastructure that allows institutional investors to use tokenized U.S. Treasury exposure as trading collateral, marking a shift in how capital is deployed across crypto markets.
Summary:
- BlackRock’s BUIDL can now be used as trading collateral.
- Assets can remain in bank custody or move on-exchange.
- The model aims to eliminate idle capital in crypto markets.
The integration went live April 28 and targets a long-standing inefficiency: idle cash sitting on exchanges earning no yield.
At the center of the rollout is BlackRock’s tokenized liquidity fund, BUIDL, which has grown rapidly in recent months. The product has surpassed $2 billion in assets under management and continues to expand as institutional demand for tokenized Treasuries increases.
The new system introduces a “dual path” structure. Clients can keep BUIDL tokens with Standard Chartered in a regulated custody environment. OKX then mirrors that value on its exchange, allowing it to be used as collateral without transferring assets out of the bank.
Your collateral shouldn’t sit idle.
BlackRock’s BUIDL is now live as yield-bearing collateral on OKX — safeguarded in Tier 1 custody with Standard Chartered.
Together, the world’s largest asset manager, a G-SIB, and global digital market infrastructure set a new blueprint for… pic.twitter.com/DK45pFALVs
— OKX (@okx) April 28, 2026
Alternatively, clients can hold BUIDL directly on OKX. In this case, the tokens function as active margin while continuing to generate yield from the underlying Treasury exposure.
Tokenized Treasuries Gain Institutional Momentum
The launch reflects broader growth in tokenized real-world assets. The market for tokenized U.S. Treasuries has expanded to roughly $30 billion, up sharply from early 2025 levels. BlackRock’s fund holds a dominant share of that segment.
Recent integrations have increased BUIDL’s utility across both decentralized and centralized platforms. The fund is now available across multiple blockchain networks, including Ethereum, Polygon and Solana. It has also been integrated into decentralized exchanges, allowing approved investors to convert holdings into stablecoins through on-chain liquidity pools.
READ MORE: Ondo Brings Shareholder Voting to Tokenized Equities With Broadridge
This expansion signals a shift in how institutions view blockchain-based assets. Tokenized funds are no longer treated as static investments. They are increasingly used as functional components within trading and liquidity systems.
Middle East Rollout Sets Template
The initial rollout focuses on institutional clients in the Middle East. The region offers clearer regulatory frameworks for digital asset services, particularly in jurisdictions such as Dubai. Executives involved in the project described the launch as a testing ground for broader global adoption.
The structure builds on earlier collaborations between OKX and Standard Chartered. A similar model was introduced in 2025 using Franklin Templeton products. The addition of BlackRock is seen as a milestone, signaling deeper institutional acceptance of tokenized financial infrastructure.
The key objective is to address the “dead capital” problem in crypto markets. Large balances often sit unused on exchanges to support trading activity. By allowing those balances to earn yield through tokenized Treasuries, firms aim to improve capital efficiency without sacrificing liquidity.
The development highlights a growing convergence between traditional finance and digital asset markets. As tokenized products become more integrated into trading systems, they are beginning to reshape how institutions manage liquidity, risk and return across both environments.
The information presented in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or trading advice. Coinspress.com does not promote or advocate for any particular investment strategy, asset, or cryptocurrency project. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile and unpredictable – always perform your own research and seek guidance from a qualified financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Alexander Stefanov
Reporter at CoinsPress
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coinspress and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
