🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

SC Ventures is investing in a firm it already works with

• SC Ventures is adding money to an existing tie-up. GSR recently led a funding round for Libeara, a tokenization platform backed by SC Ventures 1.
• GSR is recasting itself as a “Web3 investment bank.” It recently spent US$57 million to buy two advisory firms and build a capital markets platform for groups that issue tokenized assets 2.
• Both companies are rooted in Singapore’s regulated market. GSR Markets Pte. Ltd. holds a Major Payment Institution license. Libeara holds a Capital Markets Services license for dealing in capital markets products from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the country’s financial regulator 13.

Banks are backing crypto capital markets plumbing

• The deal marks a move beyond custody and trading.
• Through GSR, Standard Chartered is backing the plumbing for tokenized assets, including liquidity planning, treasury management, and risk control for companies built around them 2.
• The bet also lines up with demand for partners that can handle fragmented infrastructure in tokenized markets 2.
• Both firms are pursuing growth in tokenized real-world assets, a priority GSR set out in its 2026 industry outlook 4.