Corporate Finance Embraces Blockchain Technology
Brian Rudick, the Chief Strategy Officer at Upexi, believes we’re witnessing a significant shift in how corporate finance operates. The blockchain infrastructure that’s been developing over recent years is now reaching a point where it can support serious financial applications beyond just cryptocurrency trading.
What really caught my attention was the number he mentioned – about $36 billion worth of real-world assets are now tokenized on blockchains. That’s a 160% increase in just one year. We’re talking about private credit, US Treasuries, commodities, and even equities moving onto these digital ledgers. It’s not just small startups either – major players like Citigroup, Mastercard, and Visa are either already offering or preparing to launch blockchain-powered products.
I think what’s interesting here is that this isn’t just theoretical anymore. SWIFT is building a shared real-time ledger connecting over 30 global banks. Google Cloud has introduced its Universal Ledger specifically designed for banks and capital markets. These aren’t experiments – they’re becoming real deployments.
The Real Opportunity Lies in Infrastructure Replacement
Rudick makes a compelling point about where blockchain’s real impact will be felt. It’s not necessarily about forcing every corporate finance task onto blockchains – things like financial planning and analysis might not need this technology immediately. The bigger opportunity, in his view, is replacing the outdated financial infrastructure we’ve been using for decades.
He specifically mentioned ACH and credit card issuer networks that were created over 50 years ago. These systems are slow and expensive compared to what blockchain can offer. The idea of near-instant and free payments using stablecoins presents a much more immediate benefit than trying to digitize every aspect of corporate finance.
There’s also the regulatory aspect to consider. Stablecoin payments have clearer regulations in some areas compared to on-chain capital raising, which makes adoption easier in certain use cases.
Why Solana Stands Out for On-Chain Finance
When asked which blockchain ecosystem is best positioned for this shift, Rudick pointed decisively to Solana. As someone overseeing Upexi’s cryptocurrency strategy – one of the leading Solana-focused treasury companies – he’s got some insight here.
He mentioned Solana’s speed, cost efficiency, and reliability as key factors. More importantly, he noted that Solana was purpose-built for this type of financial application. The platform’s vision of “Internet Capital Markets” – where all the world’s assets trade on the same liquidity venue accessible 24/7 to anyone with an internet connection – aligns perfectly with where corporate finance seems to be heading.
What’s telling is the list of major financial institutions already using Solana: FiServ, Western Union, Société Générale, PayPal, Visa, Franklin Templeton, BlackRock, Apollo, and many others. These aren’t crypto-native companies – they’re traditional financial giants recognizing the benefits of moving certain operations on-chain.
Rudick did acknowledge there are challenges. Building on-chain liquidity takes time, and there are nuances to how these systems operate compared to traditional markets. But he believes that as finance moves more fully on-chain, the benefits will eventually outweigh these early challenges.
Perhaps the most telling part is that tokenized assets already mirror the behavior CFOs care about – cash flow, liquidity, and yield. That’s what will ultimately drive adoption, not just the technology itself.
