Ondo Finance CEO explains what happens when Fidelity and Schwab enter tokenization

July 31, 2026 - 01:43

Ian De Bode, the chief executive of Ondo Finance, has weighed in on the inevitable moment when the largest traditional financial institutions decide to bring tokenized securities to the mainstream. His message is not one of worry but of clarity about the different layers of the market.

De Bode points out that when Fidelity or Charles Schwab finally move into this space, they will likely focus on distribution and scale. They have the client bases, the regulatory teams, and the brand trust. But what they do not have is the underlying infrastructure that firms like Ondo have spent years building. He argues that tokenization is not just about putting a stock or a bond on a blockchain. It is about the entire plumbing around it, including custody, settlement, and the way assets are programmed and managed.

The real question, according to De Bode, is whether these giants will build their own systems or partner with existing players. He suggests that building from scratch is slow and expensive, especially when the technology is still evolving. Ondo, on the other hand, has already worked through the hard problems of compliance and liquidity. That gives it a head start that is not easy to replicate.

De Bode also notes that the entry of major firms would actually validate the entire sector. More institutional money would flow in, and that would lift all boats. The key is to remain flexible and to be ready to serve as the backbone for those who want to enter the market without reinventing the wheel. He believes that the future is not a winner-take-all race but a layered ecosystem where specialists and giants coexist. The real opportunity lies in being the layer that everyone else builds on top of.