GSR partners with Libeara to transition into a Web3 investment bank

Crypto market maker GSR announced that it will lead an investment in the tokenized platform Libeara, incubated by SC Ventures, a subsidiary of Standard Chartered Bank, completing a strategic equity investment in the form of a minority stake. This partnership is GSR’s latest strategic move after its acquisitions of two token advisory firms, Autonomous and Architech, positioning itself as an all-around “Web3 investment bank.”

Why choose Libeara: Filling the gap in “one-click tokenization” capability

GSR’s Chief Legal and Strategy Officer, Joshua Riezman, said, “What we previously lacked was real tokenization capability—the kind of platform that enables ‘one-click tokenization.’ We didn’t choose to acquire; instead, we partnered with this company, incubated by SC Ventures and already achieving tremendous success.”

Through its partnership with Libeara, GSR gained regulated on-chain asset creation infrastructure, filling a core missing link in its token full lifecycle service, forming an end-to-end service closed loop from early-stage strategy to later-stage liquidity management. Riezman noted that the structure of this partnership relationship is quite unusual: “Normally, it’s banks investing in startups. When GSR becomes the lead investor in Standard Chartered’s incubation program, the situation is completely reversed.”

Libeara: Regulated tokenization infrastructure incubated by SC Ventures

Libeara was founded by SC Ventures in 2023 to provide regulated tokenization infrastructure. It has already accumulated measurable industry achievements:

Libeara’s key performance records

On-chain asset volume: Supports the creation of more than $1 billion in on-chain assets

Asia’s first tokenized retail money market fund: Helping ChinaAMC, a large asset management company, complete issuance

Recognized by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS): Reached the finals of the global retail CBDC challenge

Regulatory approvals: Holds the Capital Markets Services license (CMS License) issued by MAS

Libeara is also a key component in Standard Chartered’s crypto prime brokerage business plan, and a strategic pillar for GSR’s development into an RWA investment bank.

GSR’s Web3 investment bank blueprint: Establishing an end-to-end service architecture

By integrating the token advisory capabilities of Autonomous and Architech with Libeara’s tokenization infrastructure, GSR positions itself as an “end-to-end global digital asset and RWA capital markets partner,” aiming to “tokenize anything effectively outside the United States in a compliant manner.”

Riezman revealed that over the past two months, GSR has received tokenization cooperation inquiries from film studios, farmland, real estate, and various types of accounts receivable assets. GSR currently has around 260 employees and has accumulated liquidity management experience across more than 500 token projects. Its clients include Ripple, Ethena Labs, and Sei.

Riezman describes GSR’s model as “integrated services”—combining market-making infrastructure and global trading capabilities, providing one-stop support for the distribution and secondary liquidity of tokenized assets.

Industry outlook: Lay groundwork early, then wait for RWA demand to mature

Riezman admits that the current RWA market still faces a “lack of demand-side” problem, but he also points out, “Unless we build corresponding capabilities in the bridge layer, demand will never appear”—infrastructure development must be completed before market demand matures. With the continued growth of stablecoin size, demand from on-chain capital for investment channels is also expected to expand in parallel, which is the core logic behind GSR’s early positioning in the RWA track.

In the same period, crypto custody provider Anchorage Digital has invested in token lifecycle management, and Galaxy is also preparing similar services—the trend toward vertical integration in the industry is accelerating.

Frequently asked questions

What is the core motivation for GSR to invest in Libeara?

After completing the acquisitions of Autonomous and Architech, GSR still lacked tokenization infrastructure capability in its token full lifecycle service. Libeara’s regulated “one-click tokenization” platform fills this gap, enabling GSR to complete an end-to-end service closed loop from pre-listing strategy to post-listing liquidity management.

What kind of company is Libeara?

Libeara is a tokenization infrastructure platform founded in 2023 by SC Ventures (the investment arm of Standard Chartered Bank). It supports the creation of more than $1 billion in on-chain assets, holds the Capital Markets Services license issued by Singapore’s MAS, and has helped ChinaAMC launch Asia’s first tokenized retail money market fund.

What does GSR’s “Web3 investment bank” positioning specifically mean?

GSR aims to provide end-to-end services covering tokenization infrastructure, token advisory, market making, and secondary liquidity management. Its goal is to provide on-chain issuance and liquidity support for various types of assets (including film and TV copyrights, real estate, accounts receivable, etc.) in a compliant manner, positioning itself as an “end-to-end global digital asset and RWA capital markets partner.”