Ether.fi has introduced tokenized financial assets and portfolio-backed lending features to its platform.
The platform’s fiat account services now support over 30 currencies and diverse payment methods.
Tokenized equities and precious metals will not be accessible to users in the United States or select jurisdictions.
Ether.fi, a decentralized finance platform specializing in Ethereum staking, has expanded its services to include trading tokenized assets, portfolio-backed loans, and integrated fiat accounts within its self-custodial application.
As of Thursday’s announcement, users can trade tokenized stocks, metals, and cryptocurrency holdings via the platform. Leveraging Aave’s decentralized lending protocol on Optimism, the integrated marketplace enables users to lend assets, borrow against their portfolios without liquidation, and manage fiat earnings from transactions. The new fiat account functionality facilitates global deposits and withdrawals.
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“Initially, we’re supporting current assets alongside select tokenized equities and gold,” Ether.fi founder and CEO Mike Silagadze stated to Decrypt. Existing supported assets include Ethereum, Bitcoin, Hyoerliqud, and ETHFI, Ether.fi’s native governance token, with Silagadze noting plans to expand collateral options rapidly.
User fiat accounts will require completion of identity verification procedures tied to Ether.fi’s payment card offerings. Transaction processing times for deposits and withdrawals will vary based on regional factors.
The platform is also implementing automated ETHFI token buybacks and offering 3% cash-back incentives for purchases made through its payment card. Ether.fi reports over 500,000 active users and an annual transaction volume of $2 billion.
Silagadze emphasized that portfolio-backed lending and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) aim to attract mainstream users unfamiliar with decentralized finance. He believes multi-asset borrowing capabilities and RWA integration will drive user adoption, while cashback rewards on trades and loans could generate significant interest.
All new features are accessible to existing and new users, though tokenized stock and metals trading remain restricted in the United States and other specified regions.
Silagadze framed the expanded platform as a bridge between decentralized finance and mainstream financial services. He envisions replacing traditional banking for most users by providing institutional-grade tools through a self-custodial framework, asserting that decentralized finance empowers users with previously exclusive financial benefits.
