Key Highlights
- Plume Network has become the first fully on-chain protocol to register as a transfer agent with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
- This new achievement provides a compliant infrastructure for major financial institutions to tokenize real-world assets like stocks and real estate
- The development comes within a supportive regulatory climate under the current U.S. administration
Plume Network has officially registered as a transfer agent with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the latest post shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Plume has registered a transfer agent with @SECGov.
This accelerates our mission to bring the trillion-dollar U.S. securities market onchain. It’s our first step in working with the SEC to build fully compliant tokenized capital markets.
Safely, compliantly, and fast. pic.twitter.com/otqLSIEoE0
— Plume – RWAfi Chain (@plumenetwork) October 6, 2025
The registration was confirmed on October 6. This approval is a big moment for the tokenization of real-world assets, which involves converting physical assets like real estate or company stocks into digital tokens on a blockchain.
Plume Network, which operates a specialized blockchain for real-world assets, is now the first fully on-chain protocol to gain this status. This federal approval allows the company to legally manage the issuance, transfer, and record-keeping for tokenized securities.
It effectively creates a bridge between the traditional world of regulated finance and the emerging world of decentralized digital assets.
What Does a Transfer Agent Mean for Plume Network?
The role of a transfer agent is a major tag for the company to connect with traditional finance. These entities, often banks or trust companies, are responsible for tracking who owns a company’s stocks and bonds; they maintain investor records, handle the transfer of ownership when assets are bought or sold, and ensure dividend payments reach the correct shareholders.
This system has historically been slow, relying on paper-based processes or outdated digital systems that can be prone to errors and delays.
Plume will revamp this function with on-chain capabilities. By using smart contracts, the company can automate many of these tasks. This creates a permanent, transparent, and instant record of every transaction. The potential benefits are substantial.
Also, the blockchain technology will reduce settlement times for security trades to seconds, which currently take days. Administrative costs could be cut dramatically, and investors would have a clear, real-time view of their holdings.
This regulated infrastructure is crucial for large financial institutions. Companies like BlackRock and Fidelity have been experimenting with tokenized funds. Plume’s system provides them with a compliant pathway to tokenize vast amounts of illiquid assets, worth trillions of dollars.
It also allows fractional ownership, allowing smaller investors to buy a piece of a large asset, like a commercial building. The technology also incorporates built-in investor protections, such as identity verification and anti-money laundering checks.
After the news came out, PLUME tokens witnessed a sharp surge with a 22.98% hike, standing at around $0.12, according to CoinMarketCap. The total market capitalization of PLUME tokens is around $365.87 million.
Chris Yin, CEO and Co-Founder of Plume, said, “At Plume, we believe transfer agent regulation exists to protect investors’ rights as shareholders. With this fully on-chain transfer agent protocol, we are streamlining the issuance of digital securities with a built-in partnership with regulators.”
“The crypto industry has been searching for a viable bridge between DeFi’s speed and TradFi’s safeguards. With the issuance of this license places Plume is the ideal solution for this search,” he added further.
The Growing Demand for Asset Tokenization
The tokenization of real-world assets is rapidly moving from a niche concept to a major financial trend. The total value of tokenized assets on blockchains has seen explosive growth, increasing by a significant percentage in just a few years. This trend is transforming the access to investment opportunities that were previously out of reach for most people.
Through fractional ownership, an average person can now own a small share of a multi-million dollar property or a piece of fine art. Real estate is currently the leading category for tokenization, followed by debt instruments like bonds. The programmability of blockchain assets allows for automated compliance and can boost the liquidity of traditionally hard-to-sell assets.
Major financial leaders have called the trend “unstoppable,” and global management consultants project that trillions of dollars in assets will be tokenized in the coming decade.
Since taking office in January 2025, President Donald Trump’s administration has implemented executive orders and policies designed to promote American leadership in blockchain and cryptocurrency.
