Liquefy

Based in Hong Kong, Liquefy operates as a technology solutions provider and consultancy firm focused on leveraging blockchain for asset tokenization. The company was established in 2018 by Adrian Lai and an unnamed co-founder who previously worked at HSBC's trading floor. Lai, the CEO, brings experience from BlackRock where he was involved in ESG analysis, sales, and fintech. His interest in the space grew from a belief that blockchain represented a significant opportunity, similar to the early internet.

Liquefy's core business revolves around its asset digitization platform, which supplies the necessary tools for issuing digital securities. This service is designed for traditional corporations and institutional clients looking to tokenize illiquid assets, such as real estate, private companies, or more exotic assets like sports teams. The platform includes a compliance protocol covering over 50 jurisdictions and provides tools for a decentralized company secretary, compliance-as-a-service, and corporate action management. Revenue is generated through consulting and the implementation of its software for tokenization projects. For instance, the company partnered with Hong Kong real estate developer Stan Group to create a tokenized profit-sharing system for employees.

The company has achieved notable milestones, including raising over $3 million by July 2019, with a $2.6 million Pre-A funding round led by Ideanomics and NEO Global Development. In October 2020, Liquefy received in-principle approval for a license in the UAE to operate a private financing platform for tokenized securities. Further demonstrating its industry engagement, the firm co-authored a consortium paper on real estate tokenization with professional services firms Sidley Austin, KPMG, and Colliers International.

In May 2021, the company launched Liquefy Labs, an incubation arm dedicated to cultivating Web 3.0 protocols that connect the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem with real-world assets. This initiative provides technical resources, access to a network of investors like Alameda Research and Hashed, and tailored marketing strategies to incubated projects. Liquefy Labs has been instrumental in backing DeFi projects such as Linear Finance, a synthetic asset exchange, and Convergence Finance, which focuses on tokenizing real-world assets into fractionalized NFTs.

Keywords: asset tokenization, digital securities, blockchain technology, real estate tokenization, security token offering, STO platform, decentralized finance, DeFi incubation, Web 3.0, illiquid assets, compliance protocol, tokenized securities, fintech solutions, Linear Finance, Convergence Finance, Adrian Lai, institutional blockchain, real-world assets, RWA, financial technology, Hong Kong fintech, UAE digital assets