Ondo specialises in tokenising real-world assets (RWAs), such as US Treasury bonds and other fixed-income instruments, making them accessible in a decentralised and liquid marketplace.
Note
Luno does not currently support sending or receiving ONDO, but you can still buy or sell it like any of our other cryptocurrencies. This decision has been made in order to ensure there are appropriate controls in place to maintain the highest standards of investor protection. Learn more about why you can't send or receive ONDO.
Who created Ondo?
Ondo Finance was founded in 2021 by Nathan Allman and Pinku Surana, who both formerly worked at Goldman Sachs. Recognising inefficiencies in traditional markets, they launched Ondo to bring institutional-grade financial products onto the blockchain, making them more accessible, liquid, and transparent.
Since its inception, Ondo Finance has grown rapidly, securing partnerships with major financial players, including Mastercard, which integrates Ondo’s tokenised assets into its Multi-Token Network (MTN). The company continues to expand its ecosystem, offering new ways for institutions and individuals to interact with real-world assets in a decentralised environment.
How does Ondo work?
Ondo enables you to tokenise real-world assets (RWAs) and offer them as blockchain-based financial products. The company’s ecosystem is built on Ondo Chain, a proof-of-stake Layer 1 blockchain specifically designed for institutional-grade assets. Its infrastructure allows investors to securely buy, trade, and manage tokenised assets while ensuring compliance with financial regulations.
Through its platform, users can participate in various investment strategies, such as liquidity provisioning, stablecoin yield farming, and volatility trading. Ondo also integrates Chainlink oracles to provide real-time pricing data, ensuring accurate and efficient execution of these financial instruments.
The flagship product, OUSG (Short-Term US Government Treasuries Fund), enables qualified investors to hold US Treasuries in a tokenised format, providing liquidity and accessibility that traditional markets lack. Investors can mint and redeem their tokenised assets 24/7, bypassing the operational restrictions of traditional finance.
What is the native cryptocurrency of Ondo?
Ondo Chain’s native cryptocurrency is ONDO. ONDO plays a central role within the ecosystem, facilitating governance, rewards, and incentivising liquidity providers. As part of Ondo's decentralised model, ONDO holders have the power to participate in governance decisions, such as voting on proposals that affect the future direction of the platform, new product offerings, and strategic developments. This ensures that the community has a say in how the ecosystem evolves.
In addition to governance, ONDO is also used to reward participants in the ecosystem. For example, liquidity providers earn ONDO as compensation for contributing capital to various investment pools. The token is designed to foster active engagement within the ecosystem, ensuring that stakeholders are incentivised to support the platform’s growth.
Moreover, ONDO tokens are used to pay for transaction fees within the system, ensuring the platform remains secure and operational.
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This information is not intended to be nor does it constitute financial, tax, legal, investment or other advice; nor is it a call to trade. The information is intended as general market commentary for information purposes only. Before making any decision or taking any action regarding your finances, you should consult a qualified Financial Advisor.