In order to turn gold into a liquid, convertible, and revenue-producing asset, ORO Labs, a tokenized gold protocol on Solana, has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round.
Although gold has been the most reliable store of value in the world for centuries, financial markets have not made much use of it. ORO is changing this by transforming gold into a fully functional, yield-producing financial asset rather than merely a passive investment.
In addition to Fasset and angel investors from top Solana projects like Phantom, Jupiter, Helium, Squads, Sanctum, Anza Labs, Perena, Bonk, and Forma, 468 Capital spearheaded the funding round.
“Gold shouldn’t just sit idle—it should generate wealth,” said Usman Saleem, Co-Founder & CEO of ORO. “With ORO, gold isn’t just something you hold; it’s something you can earn with, borrow against, and use seamlessly across markets. This is gold, but better.”
Capital that is owned in traditional gold is locked up and cannot be used for anything other than static investment, yield generation, or borrowing against holdings. By transforming gold into an asset that generates income, ORO is altering that. Based on the fast, inexpensive infrastructure of Solana, ORO enables users to trade gold-backed assets with instant settlement, borrow against their gold to unlock liquidity, and earn real yield on their gold holdings.
Global finance is undergoing historic changes at the time of ORO’s launch. In the face of de-dollarization trends, central banks are holding gold at record levels, reaffirming its status as a neutral reserve asset. Global markets are changing due to the emergence of digital, borderless financial assets as consumers look for alternatives to systems that rely on fiat currency.
“We see ORO as a crucial bridge between legacy commodities markets and the next generation of financial infrastructure,” said Guilherme Steinbruch, Partner at 468 Capital.
“By creating a gold-backed financial asset with real utility, ORO is unlocking new opportunities for both crypto users and traditional gold investors.”
Over $100 billion worth of gold transactions are facilitated by the UAE each year, making it a global leader in the gold trade. By setting up shop in the United Arab Emirates, ORO can take advantage of the region’s gold liquidity, clear regulations, and established trading networks to provide users with a safe, transparent, and scalable method of accessing and using tokenized gold globally.
Along with receiving funding, ORO also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at ADGM last month, which was witnessed by Germany’s Finance Minister HE Dr. Jörg Kukies and UAE Foreign Trade Minister HE Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi. The MOU strengthens ORO’s strategic alliances and adherence to regulations while outlining the company’s commitment to growing the use of tokenized gold in the UAE and beyond.
