PiCK

BlackRock Ties BUIDL to OKX Margin System, Letting Users Earn Interest

Source

Minseung Kang

Summary

BlackRock said it has introduced a structure that uses the BUIDL token linked to OKX as margin collateral while providing interest income on deposited assets.
BUIDL invests in U.S. Treasuries and repurchase agreements (RP) while maintaining a $1 value, making it possible to turn exchange deposits into yield-bearing assets.
The collaboration is seen as reinforcing a broader focus on institutional investors' capital efficiency as the tokenized real-world asset market expands.

Forecast Trend Report by Period

Efforts to put idle funds parked on cryptocurrency exchanges to work are gaining momentum, Bloomberg reported on April 28.

BlackRock has introduced a structure linking its money market fund to crypto exchange OKX so it can be used as margin collateral. Standard Chartered is serving as custodian for the assets.

Under the arrangement, BlackRock's USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund token, known as BUIDL, is used as margin collateral. Users can post the token as margin while continuing to earn interest. Previously, cash deposited on exchanges effectively generated no return, creating an inefficiency.

BUIDL invests in U.S. Treasuries and repurchase agreements, and is designed to maintain a $1 value. That makes it possible to turn exchange deposits from idle balances into yield-bearing assets.

The service is currently being offered to investors in the Middle East.

The collaboration, which brings together an asset manager, a global bank and a crypto exchange, highlights how the boundary between traditional finance and digital-asset markets is rapidly blurring. The tokenized real-world asset market is estimated at about $30 billion, roughly four times larger than at the start of last year.

Standard Chartered and OKX previously introduced a similar structure with Franklin Templeton in April 2025. The move reflects a growing focus among institutional investors on both custody arrangements and capital efficiency.

BlackRock has been expanding its tokenization business around BUIDL, which it launched in 2024. Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink recently reiterated that strategy in a letter, saying all financial assets will eventually be tokenized.