ARK Invest Tokenizes $1.3B Venture Fund On Ethereum Via Securitize

ARK Invest has confirmed the tokenization of its $1.3 billion ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) on the Ethereum blockchain through a partnership with digital asset securities platform Securitize, marking one of the largest traditional fund tokenizations to date. The announcement positions the move as a bridge between conventional venture capital structures and blockchain-based capital markets, with the fund's private company exposure — including stakes in OpenAI, Anthropic, and Stripe — becoming accessible through tokenized shares. Neither firm disclosed the exact effective date of the tokenization in the initial announcement, though the move is described as immediate and operational.

ARKVX is an interval fund structure that provides exposure to a portfolio of private and public companies, with its most notable holdings including artificial intelligence leader OpenAI, AI safety and research firm Anthropic, and payments giant Stripe. The tokenization does not create a new fund vehicle or share class; rather, it digitizes ownership of the existing ARKVX fund, allowing investors to hold a blockchain-based representation of their fund interest. The fund's private asset allocation has been a key differentiator for ARKVX, which launched in 2022 as a way for investors to gain venture capital-style exposure without the traditional multi-year lockups and high minimums associated with private funds.

Securitize is serving as the transfer agent and tokenization platform for the ARKVX offering, with the tokens being issued on the Ethereum mainnet. While the specific token standard has not been officially confirmed in the announcement, Securitize has historically deployed ERC-3643, the security token standard designed for permissioned tokens that comply with regulatory requirements, for its institutional fund tokenizations. The choice of Ethereum mainnet — rather than a layer-2 network — suggests a preference for maximum security, decentralization, and compatibility with existing DeFi infrastructure and custody solutions.

A critical open question is whether the tokenized ARKVX shares will be available to retail investors or restricted to accredited investors only. ARKVX in its traditional form is registered with the SEC and available to both retail and accredited investors, though it carries a $500 minimum initial investment. The tokenized version is expected to maintain similar eligibility requirements, though Securitize's platform typically enforces accredited investor verification for private fund offerings.