TLDR
- Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest has tokenized its Venture Fund (ARKVX) using Ethereum blockchain technology via Securitize.
- The fund contains investments in prominent tech firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks.
- Token holders receive fund-level exposure rather than direct equity in portfolio companies.
- SEC authorization came through an amended order dated September 21, enabling the tokenized share class.
- While ARK maintains investment management duties, Securitize operates the blockchain infrastructure and issuance process.
ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has introduced a blockchain-based version of its ARK Venture Fund utilizing Securitize’s platform built on Ethereum.
Today, we’re bringing the ARK Venture Fund (ARKVX) onchain with @ARKInvest and making it available on @ethereum.
For the first time, eligible investors can access the tokenized version of ARK’s flagship disruptive innovation fund with a minimum investment of $500. pic.twitter.com/J9ME81et8D
— Securitize (@Securitize) September 24, 2026
Trading under the symbol ARKVX, the fund operates as an actively managed interval fund designed to capture long-term appreciation through exposure to innovative technology enterprises.
Among its portfolio positions are OpenAI, Anthropic, Stripe, and Databricks. ARK emphasizes that these positions may shift as portfolio managers rebalance based on market conditions and opportunities.
Qualified investors now have the option to acquire tokenized interests in ARKVX via Securitize’s platform. These interests provide exposure to the overall fund performance rather than ownership rights in individual portfolio companies.
Understanding What Gets Tokenized
This initiative does not involve tokenizing the underlying portfolio companies directly. Neither OpenAI nor Anthropic equity is being independently placed on blockchain infrastructure.
Rather, the fund structure itself receives blockchain representation through Ethereum. Securitize handles both the onchain distribution and the related investor interactions for this process.
According to available information, additional blockchain platforms may join following this Ethereum debut. ARK has not disclosed specific dates for potential multi-chain expansion.
Securitize has clarified that ARKVX tokens do not appear on traditional securities exchanges. The firm does not anticipate meaningful secondary market activity for these instruments in the near term.
Participation continues to be governed by investor qualification requirements and established regulatory frameworks. These parameters mirror those applied to conventional, non-tokenized fund shares.
Regulatory Authorization From the SEC
The Securities and Exchange Commission issued an amended authorization for the fund dated September 21. This approval permits ARK to distribute a tokenized share class.
Such shares may become available through alternative trading systems or other SEC-approved distribution channels. A different class under the same authorization might eventually appear on a traditional national exchange.
The SEC noted that no parties requested hearings prior to the order becoming effective. Authorization does not indicate that shares have begun trading on any alternative platform as of yet.
This regulatory green light followed ARK’s earlier application requesting modifications to relief originally granted in November 2025. In that initial filing, ARK had not specified which blockchain network or service provider would be used.
The current announcement provides those specifics, identifying Ethereum as the blockchain and Securitize as the technology partner. Investors acquiring fund shares pay net asset value plus any relevant sales fees.
How the ARK-Securitize Relationship Developed
This collaboration extends ARK’s $10 million strategic capital commitment to Securitize completed in October 2025. That transaction centered on jointly developing compliant tokenized investment vehicles.
Securitize has subsequently moved toward public markets through a combination with a Cantor Fitzgerald-sponsored special purpose acquisition company. This transaction features a $225 million private placement component.
Shares of Securitize now trade as SECZ on the New York Stock Exchange. ARK Invest appears among its institutional shareholders.
ARK has simultaneously broadened its cryptocurrency-related positions across its product suite. Last August, the firm acquired approximately $37.4 million worth of Block equity and $3.36 million in Circle stock.
Those transactions represented standalone equity acquisitions made through ARK’s exchange-traded fund vehicles. They operate independently from the ARKVX tokenization initiative.
The ARKVX rollout comes after the SEC issued a broader September exemption permitting certain tokenized U.S. equities to trade under defined parameters for a five-year period. That separate regulatory action addresses individual corporate shares on approved platforms, which differs from ARK’s fund-specific clearance.
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