Simplechain raises $15 million to build RWA-first layer 1 and dataipo protocols, expanding ex-jd.com and ant group executives’ compliant asset tokenization efforts.
Real World Asset (RWA) startup SimpleChain has raised $15 million in seed funding to build a purpose-built layer 1 blockchain aimed at tokenizing assets such as credit, energy infrastructure, and other off-chain collateral at scale. The company said the new capital will be used for engineering, compliance and ecosystem incentives to position its infrastructure as a base layer for regulated RWA issuance. The round comes amid a broader movement by China and Asia-based fintech companies to move the tokenization of their assets on-chain, with Hong Kong emerging as a key testing ground.
According to Chinese media outlet PANews, SimpleChain’s founding team includes former executives from Shuqin Technology, JD.com, and Ant Group, who previously helped build compliant fintech and supply chain finance platforms for traditional markets. Their new blockchain is proposed as a continuation of that effort, but with payment and asset logic moving entirely on-chain. “The launch of SimpleChain and the DataIPO protocol is an extension of years spent building compliant infrastructure for real-world assets,” the team said in comments reported by industry media, positioning the project as a way to “bridge institutional investors and public blockchains without sacrificing regulatory standards.”
Beyond basic layer 1, SimpleChain is developing an environmentally friendly protocol called DataIPO. It is designed to standardize how real-world asset transactions are generated, tokenized, and distributed to investors. In promotional material shared on This approach reflects broader RWA trends tracked by the analytics platform RWA.xyz. At RWA.xyz, tokenized treasury, private credit, and infrastructure has grown into a multi-billion dollar segment over the past two years. chain+4
The latest increase highlights how competition for RWA infrastructure is intensifying, especially in Greater China. According to Bloomberg, Ant Group’s digital arm is already leading tokenization trials for up to $8.4 billion of renewable energy assets, including electric vehicle charging networks and solar power plants, while also considering dedicated chains such as the company’s Jovay and Pharos projects. As regulators in Hong Kong and other hubs refine rules for tokenized securities, projects like SimpleChain are betting that dedicated layer 1s, rather than generalized smart contract chains, will gain a larger share of institutional RWA flows.