CoinDesk
MoonPay launched MoonPay Trade on Thursday, a platform connecting banks, fintechs and enterprises to tokenized assets, DeFi protocols and stablecoin liquidity across more than 200 blockchains through a single integration. The service is underpinned by Decent.xyz, the cross-chain routing startup MoonPay acquired for a high eight-figure sum, and will serve as the execution arm for MoonPay Institutional, the firm's regulated-finance business led by former acting CFTC Chair Caroline Pham.
Why it matters
The launch repositions MoonPay from crypto payments processor to full-stack institutional onchain infrastructure. The platform supports tokenized fund subscriptions, collateral transfers and integrations with DeFi lending protocols including Morpho, Aave and Maple Finance, giving regulated firms a compliant path into yield and borrowing markets that previously required bespoke builds.
The market context is hard to overstate: tokenized real-world assets now exceed $33 billion in market value, tripling year-over-year according to RWA.xyz, with Boston Consulting Group projecting the category could reach $18.9 trillion by 2033. BlackRock, Franklin Templeton and JPMorgan have already introduced tokenized funds on public blockchains, while stablecoins increasingly serve as settlement rails for payments and trading.
Market impact
Pham framed the timing in a statement: "Every major financial institution is building a tokenized asset strategy," adding the platform gives institutions access to onchain markets "with full compliance." That compliance-first pitch is the wedge into a TradFi base that has watched DeFi yields from the sidelines.
MoonPay has been on an acquisition spree to support the build-out. Earlier this month it acquired Solana trading infrastructure provider DFlow, which processed more than $12 billion in trading volume in Q1. This year it also bought security startup Sodot, following last year's acquisitions of payments processors Meso and Helio.
Frequently asked questions
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What is MoonPay Trade and who is it for?
MoonPay Trade is a new platform launched Thursday that connects banks, fintechs and enterprises to tokenized assets, DeFi protocols and stablecoin liquidity across more than 200 blockchains through a single integration. It serves as the execution arm for MoonPay Institutional, the firm's regulated-finance business.
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What is the Decent.xyz acquisition and why does it matter?
MoonPay acquired Decent.xyz, a cross-chain routing startup, for a high eight-figure sum. The acquisition underpins MoonPay Trade by providing the cross-chain infrastructure needed to move assets and liquidity across more than 200 blockchains through a single integration point.
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Which DeFi protocols does MoonPay Trade integrate with?
The platform supports integrations with DeFi lending protocols Morpho, Aave and Maple Finance, enabling institutional users to earn yield or borrow against digital assets directly on blockchain rails with a compliance layer built in.
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Who leads MoonPay Institutional and what is their background?
MoonPay Institutional is led by Caroline Pham, a former acting Chair of the CFTC. Her regulatory background is central to the platform's compliance-first pitch to banks and other regulated financial institutions.
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How large is the tokenized real-world assets market?
Tokenized real-world assets now exceed $33 billion in market value, having tripled year-over-year according to RWA.xyz data. Boston Consulting Group has projected the category could grow to $18.9 trillion by 2033.
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