Chainlink Co-Founder Sergey Nazarov Praises BlackRock for Driving Blockchain Adoption and Fund Tokenization - Cryptonews.net

Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov has highlighted BlackRock's significant role in advancing blockchain technology. He specifically pointed to three key areas: on-chain asset management, fund tokenization, and the expansion of on-chain finance. Nazarov also outlined how BlackRock and other large institutions could directly benefit from the growing infrastructure products built around LINK, the native token of the Chainlink network.

BlackRock's main on-chain product is the USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund, known as BUIDL. Launched in March 2024 in partnership with Securitize, this tokenized money market fund invests in cash, US Treasury bills, and repurchase agreements with short maturities. The fund has since expanded across multiple networks and accumulated $2.4 billion in assets under management as of February 2026.

BlackRock's Tokenization Push

BUIDL has become increasingly accessible, now available on BNB Chain and Solana. BlackRock has partnered with Securitize and Uniswap Labs to enable on-chain trading of the fund. More recently, BUIDL has begun supporting institutional collateral arrangements through Binance. Nazarov has described the launch of BUIDL as a watershed moment for traditional finance's participation in the digital asset economy.

Chainlink's Role

Chainlink provides essential data and cross-chain connectivity for tokenized assets. For example, sBUIDL tokens on Euler are secured by Chainlink data feeds, ensuring reliable pricing. Nazarov has characterized the network's role broadly, explaining that it serves both as a solution for getting data into chains and as a method for connecting chains and smart contracts across different blockchains.

Nazarov and BlackRock executives have shared platforms to discuss blockchain's future. In September, he joined BlackRock's William Su, Vanguard's John Evans, and Sharplink's Joseph Chalom at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia for a panel on blockchain in traditional finance. Su highlighted significant demand for tokenized real-world assets during this discussion.

Looking ahead, Nazarov has indicated that several large US tokenization projects should enter production this year, with a competitive race following next year and meaningful transaction volumes expected the year after. He emphasized that while he and BlackRock executives have discussed blockchain developments, no formal partnership exists between the companies.