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The investment enables participation in Kinto’s mining program, which rewards asset deposits on the chain with token emission.
By Krisztian Sandor, CoinDesk Bot|Edited by Benjamin Schiller
Updated Feb 17, 2025, 2:05 p.m. UTCPublished Feb 17, 2025, 2:00 p.m. UTC
What to know:
- Asset manager Brevan Howard Digital’s Abu Dhabi branch allocated $20 million to Kinto, an on-chain financial network built on top of Ethereum.
- Kinto integrates compliance features such as KYC and AML at the blockchain level, appealing to institutional investors.
- The investment marks a growing trend of traditional finance firms engaging in DeFi ecosystems.
The Abu Dhabi-based branch of Brevan Howard Digital, the crypto arm of the global investment management firm, has deployed $20 million on Kinto, a blockchain platform designed for institutional participation in decentralized finance (DeFi).
Story continues
The deposit makes Brevan Howard Digital one of the first traditional financial firms to tap into Kinto’s on-chain mining program, the protocol said.
Kinto operates as an Ethereum layer-2 network with built-in compliance mechanisms, including Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) protocols, facilitating financial institutions that face strict regulatory requirements to participate in decentralized finance. It also offers a smart contract wallet with default insurance and security enhancements.
Read more: Blockchain Startup Kinto Plans ‘First KYC’d’ Ethereum Layer-2 Network After Raising $5M
The platform’s mining program, set to run for a decade, incentivizes participants by distributing token rewards for depositing assets on-chain on Kinto. Mining programs have been a staple in the DeFi sector but have largely been out of reach for traditional financial institutions due to compliance hurdles.
Brevan Howard Digital’s participation signals growing interest from legacy financial firms in blockchain-based finance, particularly as platforms like Kinto adapt to meet institutional needs, Ramon Recuero, according to Kinto’s co-founder and CEO. “Institutions have been waiting for two things: regulatory clarity and compliance features. Now, through Kinto, financial institutions don’t need to wait any longer,” he said in a statement.
Krisztian Sandor is a U.S. markets reporter focusing on stablecoins, tokenization, real-world assets. He graduated from New York University’s business and economic reporting program before joining CoinDesk. He holds BTC, SOL and ETH.
“CoinDesk Bot” indicates a generative text tool, typically an AI chatbot, contributed to the article. In each and every case, the article was edited, fact-checked and published by a human. Read more about CoinDesk’s AI Policy here.
