Plume Network has opened a new chapter in the on-chain management of tokenized securities by receiving "transfer agent" approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The modular Layer-2 network, focused on real-world assets (RWA), is now SEC-regulated and will be able to handle the issuance, transfer, and investor registration of digital securities directly on the blockchain.
PLUME price surges
Following the announcement, the PLUME token surged 25 percent, with trading volume increasing by 186 percent. However, it's worth noting that the coin has subsequently retreated. At the time of writing, the coin is trading at $0.10, a 10 percent increase.
The new license allows Plume to work directly with the DTCC network, the U.S. clearing and custody infrastructure. This allows on-chain initial public offerings (IPOs), small-scale capital raisings, and registered fund transactions to be completed within weeks. Plume CEO and co-founder Chris Yin stated that this development automates securities issuance while protecting investor rights. He said, “With a fully on-chain transfer agent protocol, we are simplifying digital securities issuance in compliance with regulators.”
Yin emphasized that Plume is the bridge that brings together the “speed of DeFi and the security of TradFi,” which the crypto industry has long sought. Traditionally, transfer agents are financial institutions that maintain a company's shareholder records, manage stock certificates, and process dividend transactions. Plume offers the same function securely, transparently, and immutably on blockchain using distributed ledger technology.
Plume's acquisition of this license is seen as a result of its active collaboration with the SEC. The company previously contributed to the debates surrounding the GENIUS Act, which was introduced in the US Congress. Furthermore, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce's message last week that a “more open approach to tokenization projects” is being considered a sign of a regulatory transformation. Plume's transfer agent system is already operational, allowing fund managers to immediately begin trading on the regulated token infrastructure. The company plans to build upon this foundation with a new product line to be released in the first quarter of 2026. This system, called "Nest Protocol Vaults," will allow fund managers to create vaults based on regulated financial instruments, while investors can deposit stablecoins to earn returns on these assets.
Following its transfer agent license, Plume is also preparing to apply for Alternative Trading System (ATS) and broker-dealer licenses. The goal is to build a fully compliant on-chain capital market for 40 Act funds. These funds, known as registered investment vehicles, form the backbone of the US investment ecosystem, representing over $39 trillion in assets.
Plume's license is a critical step in pioneering the on-chain tokenization of these funds and other institutional assets. The company aims to bring an institutional-grade regulated infrastructure to the digital asset market while maintaining the security standards of traditional finance. With Nest products launching in 2026, Plume Network is expected to make a name for itself in both the RWA tokenization and the enterprise DeFi ecosystem.
