EtherFi has committed $25 million to Plume’s real-world asset (RWA) protocol, Nest, to add tokenized RWA yield to its platform as it seeks returns beyond crypto-native sources. The deployment begins with exposure to Plume’s nBASIS vault — a strategy linked to Superstate’s USCC crypto carry fund — and EtherFi plans a later phase that will surface a dedicated RWA vault directly in its user interface.
The initial allocation gives EtherFi users indirect access to a blended strategy that combines crypto basis trades, staking rewards and government securities — a mix usually available to institutional or sophisticated investors. Plume’s vault architecture executes and reports activity onchain while enforcing predefined risk controls and compliance features, simplifying access for retail and institutional users alike.
The integration makes RWA exposure available across EtherFi’s platform, which manages more than $6 billion in user deposits. EtherFi started as an Ethereum liquid staking yield provider and has since broadened its offerings. Plume builds infrastructure that packages institutional investment strategies into onchain vaults, enabling strategies managed offchain to be accessed through crypto-native interfaces. Plume has also pursued TradFi alignment, including registering as a transfer agent with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in October.
Tokenized RWAs have surged recently, led by tokenized U.S. Treasury products. RWA.xyz data shows the onchain value of tokenized RWAs climbed to over $27 billion from about $5.7 billion at the start of 2025, with tokenized Treasuries representing more than $11 billion. Large institutional entrants account for a meaningful share: Circle’s USYC holds roughly $2.3 billion, BlackRock’s BUIDL about $2 billion, and Franklin Templeton’s onchain money fund over $1 billion.
Plume reports 262,325 RWA holders controlling more than $348 million in tokenized assets, and distributed asset value rose 69% over the prior 30 days per RWA.xyz. Plume’s Nest lineup is already live, including a basis-focused vault holding over $26 million. In November, Plume co-founder and CEO Chris Yin suggested the tokenized RWA market could expand up to fivefold in the coming year as maturing markets and shifting rates push users beyond Treasury bills toward higher-yield opportunities.