ORO Closes $1.5M Pre-Seed Round as Solana RWA Heats Up

ORO, an emerging Solana-based RWA platform, is one step closer to tokenizing the world’s most trusted store of value. In its mission to transform gold into a liquid, composable, yield-generating asset, ORO has successfully closed a $1.5M pre-seed round led by 468 Capital.

Solana’s RWA scene is expected to witness tremendous growth in 2025, with a variety of emerging protocols bringing previously untapped markets to the network.

What is ORO, and why has there never been a better time to tokenize gold onchain?

ORO to Bring Yield-Bearing Gold Onchain

Founded by former Natwest Corporates and Institutions Vice President Usman Saleem, ORO aims to tokenize the world’s original hard asset and bring gold to onchain markets. In the same way that Circle and Tether issue stablecoins backed 1:1 by fiat currency, ORO taps into a rich network of blue-chip custodians to issue securely backed gold on Solana.

By bringing gold onchain, ORO unlocks new utility for gold as a financial asset. While in the past investing in gold required holders to lock up capital, ORO transforms gold into a flexible, yield-bearing asset. 

“Gold shouldn’t just sit idle—it should generate wealth. With ORO, gold isn’t just something you hold; it’s something you can earn with, borrow against, and use seamlessly across markets. This is gold, but better." - Usman Saleem, ORO Co-Founder & CEO.

ORO users can stake or borrow against their holdings, or realize onchain assets for physical gold through ORO’s global redemption network. 

ORO’s rollout is remarkably well-timed. With President Trump’s tariff war causing uncertainty in markets and investors seeking safety, gold has soared to new all-time highs. While demand for gold is soaring, ORO is positioning itself as an essential tool enabling investors to get maximum yield on one of history’s most battle-tested assets.

“We see ORO as a crucial bridge between legacy commodities markets and the next generation of financial infrastructure. By creating a gold-backed financial asset with real utility, ORO is unlocking new opportunities for both crypto users and traditional gold investors.” - Guilherme Steinbruch, Partner at 468 Capital

Additionally, ORO has taken care to ensure regulatory compliance and bankruptcy protection, mitigating potential risks for users and investors alike. The protocol recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining ORO’s commitment to expanding tokenized gold adoption across the UAE and beyond, while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Solana RWA Scene Primed for 2025 Growth

The RWA sector has taken some time to arrive on Solana compared to rival chains, but that looks set to change in 2025. 

Solana is now home to a wealth of emerging RWA protocols. Ecosystem teams like Remora Markets are tokenizing traditional stocks and equities and integrating them into Solana DeFi. Meanwhile, products like AgriDex and elmnts are bringing agricultural markets and oil and gas royalties onchain, respectively.

Through Solana’s emerging RWA scene, retail investors will be able to overcome the significant barriers to entry that previously blocked them from these exclusive markets. 

Even TradFi heavyweights are eager to get involved. Earlier this year, trillion-dollar asset manager Franklin Templeton expanded its FOBXX fund to Solana.

With RWA expected to push network activity and DeFi maturity to new heights, Solana is also rebuking criticism that its onchain markets are reliant on memecoin volume. Real-world assets are finding a new home on Solana, driving the next wave of adoption for the industry’s most performant and active blockchain.

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