Itaú Unibanco Joins OpenAssets for ANBIMA Tokenization Pilot in Brazil

Woofun AI reports that Itaú Unibanco has formally initiated a strategic collaboration with digital-asset infrastructure provider OpenAssets to execute a tokenization pilot under the administration of the Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Association, known as ANBIMA. This partnership represents a significant escalation in institutional adoption of blockchain technology within Brazil's financial sector, moving beyond theoretical frameworks into practical application.

The technical scope of this initiative is designed to rigorously test the issuance, trading, and settlement mechanisms for fixed-income securities and investment funds utilizing distributed-ledger technology. According to the press release detailing the cooperation, the project will also establish the necessary rules and technical standards required for banks and asset managers to integrate such systems into their existing operational infrastructures. This dual focus on functional testing and regulatory compliance aims to create a replicable model for broader industry adoption.

Itaú Unibanco's participation lends substantial weight to the endeavor, given its position as Latin America's largest lender, headquartered in São Paulo. S&P Global data indicates the bank holds more than $562 billion in total assets, making it a critical player in any regional financial innovation. This move aligns with a broader trend observed on Wall Street, where tokenization has emerged as a primary use case for blockchain technology. Major institutions are actively experimenting with placing bonds, funds, private credit, and equities on digital ledgers. Citi has projected that the market for tokenized securities could expand to $5.5 trillion by 2030 as financial assets increasingly migrate to blockchain-based systems.

Brazil has rapidly established itself as a central hub for these developments, with initiatives extending well beyond traditional banking pilots. In July 2025, VERT Capital, a Brazilian credit structuring and securitization firm, announced plans to tokenize up to $1 billion in debt and receivables on the XDC Network.

Concurrently, Mercado Bitcoin, a local crypto exchange, outlined strategies to tokenize $200 million in assets on the XRP Ledger, encompassing both fixed-income and equity instruments. Demonstrating the versatility of the technology, tokenization has even penetrated agricultural sectors; farmers in Paraná, facing difficulties in securing bank loans, tokenized 10 dairy cows and listed them for trading via infrastructure linked to the B3 exchange.

This ANBIMA project is not Itaú's first engagement with tokenization technologies. In 2023, Brazil's central bank selected the lender to participate in the Drex pilot, which tested blockchain-based transactions involving tokenized money and assets.

Woofun AI data shows OpenAssets, the technical partner in this new venture, raised $10 million in funding last year to develop its tokenization infrastructure. The investment round was led by Valor Capital Group, with participation from USDT stablecoin issuer Tether and members of the family that founded Itaú Unibanco. Gabor Gurbacs, chairman and CEO of OpenAssets, emphasized the strategic importance of the region in this context.

The convergence of these initiatives underscores Brazil's trajectory as one of the most forward-looking markets in global finance. By facilitating the transition of tokenization from exploration to production, the country is positioning itself to capture significant value in the next generation of digital asset infrastructure. This marks a definitive shift toward institutional-grade utility for blockchain technology in emerging markets.