OpenWorld, a blockchain infrastructure firm focused on digital asset tokenization, is preparing to enter the public markets through a planned merger with VerifyMe. The combined company intends to pursue a Nasdaq listing and to operate as a compliance-first platform supporting institutional adoption of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. The transaction reflects a strategic shift in a maturing blockchain sector, where financial institutions are showing growing interest in regulated digital asset infrastructure.

From Investment Banking to Blockchain Infrastructure

OpenWorld co-founder and CEO Matthew Shaw traces the company's origins to traditional finance. His early career in investment banking centered on trading and structuring complex products in emerging markets. In 2017, he founded Protos Asset Management, a Switzerland-based cryptocurrency fund that issued the third-ever security token — early exposure that shaped his view of digital asset infrastructure and the opportunity surrounding technology.

From those roots, Shaw said, OpenWorld's founding thesis was straightforward: “Digital assets and blockchain technology were going to take an increasingly central role in the global economy, from payments and tokenization to neobanks.”

The company launched to fill what Shaw identified as a critical gap in the Web3 ecosystem: the absence of trusted advisors with experience in token design, launch strategy, and commercialization. He discussed the company's evolution in a profile interview with Pulse2.

From Advisory to Infrastructure

OpenWorld began as a strategic advisory firm helping venture-backed blockchain projects structure and launch tokens. It has since evolved into an organization built around three verticals serving projects, enterprises, and sovereigns at different stages of blockchain adoption.

The Digital Assets and Capital Markets practice works with blockchain projects and institutions on token model design, launch strategy, tokenomics, governance structure, and exchange placement. OpenWorld Enterprise supports organizations and sovereign nations exploring RWA tokenization, stablecoins, and digital asset strategies that bridge blockchain with traditional finance. A third vertical, OpenWorld Labs, operates as an innovation hub where early-stage ideas are tested and developed toward commercialization.

Shaw pointed to the scale the advisory business has reached. “We’ve helped launch some of the most significant token projects in the industry,” he said. “When you add up the scale of our launch practice, we’ve partnered on over $66 billion in total network value from tier-one projects.”

A recent milestone came through a transaction between Heritage Distilling Company, listed on Nasdaq under the symbol IPST, and the Story Foundation to create a $360 million IP token reserve strategy. OpenWorld served as Web3 advisor, guiding the structure and coordinating stakeholders across traditional finance, crypto exchanges, banks, and regulatory frameworks.

The Institutional Adoption Challenge

Although interest from financial institutions in blockchain has grown, Shaw identified specific barriers to faster adoption. Regulatory clarity remains incomplete in many jurisdictions, leaving institutions to wait for clear frameworks around compliance, custody, and reporting before deploying infrastructure at scale. Operational integration poses a further challenge: financial institutions need blockchain solutions that mesh with existing systems while meeting their standards for security, transparency, and risk management.

Shaw said OpenWorld addresses these gaps by building infrastructure designed specifically for institutional use and by focusing on applications with clear value propositions. Stablecoins and tokenized RWAs are particularly compelling in this respect because they can improve payment efficiency and unlock new investment opportunities. As regulatory environments mature and these use cases prove their worth, Shaw believes OpenWorld will play a significant role in driving broader institutional adoption.

Saudi Arabia and Real-World Asset Tokenization

OpenWorld launched Saudi Arabia's first RWA Tokenization Center of Excellence in Al Khobar, targeting a region with growing interest in blockchain but limited local infrastructure and expertise. The center brings together developers, policymakers, and industry leaders to advance tokenization across sectors including energy infrastructure, real estate, and carbon markets.

Shaw said Saudi Arabia offered natural advantages for the initiative. The Kingdom holds a significant base of assets suited to tokenization and seeks more efficient methods of global distribution, while tokenization can unlock new liquidity and investment opportunities across sectors — objectives that align with the country's broader economic goals.

The initiative closely supports Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 program, which aims to diversify the economy beyond natural resources, attract foreign direct investment, and build financial infrastructure for long-term growth. By enabling global investors to access tokenized assets from the Kingdom, the Center of Excellence facilitates international capital flows while supporting the modernization of Saudi financial markets.

The Public Markets Path

OpenWorld's merger agreement with VerifyMe represents the company's shift from private, Cayman-based operations to a U.S.-listed public entity. Shaw described the strategic rationale: the combined company can pursue a Nasdaq listing as a compliance-first digital asset and RWA tokenization platform at a time when investor appetite is increasingly turning toward regulated, revenue-generating digital asset infrastructure.

The listing remains prospective: the article describes a planned merger, and OpenWorld has not yet completed the transition to public-company status described here. Completing the merger and transitioning to public-company status remains a top priority for OpenWorld this year.

The merger combines OpenWorld's expertise in token ecosystem design and launch strategy with VerifyMe's capabilities in authentication technologies, compliance systems, and enterprise-grade logistics infrastructure. The resulting platform aims to support regulated token listings, enterprise adoption, and RWA tokenization across multiple jurisdictions.

Shaw positioned the deal as reflective of the industry's next phase. “As institutional adoption accelerates, there is growing demand for platforms that combine blockchain innovation with strong governance, transparency, and compliance frameworks,” he said. The public listing will allow the combined company to establish new standards for how RWAs move on-chain and integrate into global financial markets.

Shaw emphasized that transparency, governance, and strong financial standards will be central to the transition. The company also continues to pursue customers in areas where blockchain adoption is accelerating fastest, including neobanks, token generation events, stablecoins, and RWAs, with several significant RWA initiatives currently in the pipeline.

Source: Blocktelegraph