Velo Protocol, Lightnet Group, and OpenEden announce a joint venture to develop an integrated Treasury-as-a-Service platform and settlement network, leveraging tokenised U.S.

Treasury Bills for compliant, transparent cross-border transactions within ASEAN.

Velo Protocol, Lightnet Group, and OpenEden have announced a joint venture to kick off an integrated Treasury-as-a-Service (TaaS) platform along with a settlement network aimed at the ASEAN region. From what I understand, this effort is designed to offer businesses, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and Web3 treasuries straightforward access to tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills. The goal? To create a transparent, compliant on-chain treasury management system. The partners claim this infrastructure is meant to support large-scale settlements, providing reserves that are compliant and yield-bearing, all while bridging traditional finance with blockchain tech.

The plan for the ASEAN-focused settlement network involves targeting financial institutions, fintech companies, and other enterprises by enabling digital fiat settlement tokens issued in compliance with regulations. This platform is expected to allow real-time cross-border payments, including high-volume corridors that are often prioritized for money transfer operators (MTOs), merchants, and large institutional clients. Delivered via a modular API stack, the system should integrate smoothly with banks, fintech firms, and merchant platforms alike. It aims to provide secure custody and treasury services through licensed providers, along with liquidity management, FX conversions, and hedging tools, all accessible through both DeFi ecosystems and conventional finance systems.

Now, openEden’s tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills—which, by the way, are rated "A" by Moody’s and "AA+" by S&P—are the backbone for the reserves backing up this entire initiative. Velo Protocol has previously integrated these tokenized Treasuries as collateral to back USDV, its stablecoin protocol. This move is seen as a strategic effort to improve transparency, liquidity, and compliance for stablecoins issued on its platform, especially in Southeast Asia. The company describes this as a significant step towards pulling together tokenized real-world assets (or RWA), while also expanding its PayFi ecosystem—a model aiming to deliver stable, yield-bearing digital assets around the globe.

Lightnet Group, based out of Singapore, brings a wealth of experience in next-gen blockchain infrastructure. Their focus is on bridging traditional finance with digital economies. In this partnership, their role is to deliver near real-time, compliant cross-border settlement solutions within Asia, backed by big names like UOB and the CP Group. This highlights a broader regional trend—timing seems right for modernising payment rails and settlement systems through blockchain, all while sticking tightly to regulatory standards.

While overall the announcement paints a pretty promising picture of a comprehensive ASEAN settlement solution, it’s important to remember that wider adoption of tokenised U.S. Treasuries and stablecoins in the region still faces hurdles—mainly, regulatory ones. Industry folks suggest that the success of these kinds of projects hinges not just on technological readiness but also on navigating the complex landscape of approvals and compliance across different jurisdictions. Plus, the existing financial infrastructure has to be compatible. And let’s not forget, projects like Velo’s are also competing with other blockchain-based settlement services and emerging central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), which several regional governments are actively exploring.

In related endeavors, Velo is also working with other partners, such as the Solana Foundation, on blockchain-based gold transactions in Laos. They’ve also teamed up with firms like Paxos and BlackRock to strengthen their stablecoin collateral ecosystem. These kinds of initiatives reflect an ongoing push to incorporate real-world assets into digital finance, all while balancing innovation, regulation, and institutional trust. It’s pretty interesting, right? There’s a lot happening in this space, and I find it surprising that so many different pieces are coming together to build a more connected financial world.

📌 Reference Map:

  • - Paragraph 1 – [1], [2]
  • - Paragraph 2 – [1], [2]
  • - Paragraph 3 – [1], [3], [7]
  • - Paragraph 4 – [1]
  • - Paragraph 5 – [1]
  • - Paragraph 6 – [1], [4], [6], [5]

Source: Noah Wire Services

Verification / Sources

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We've since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative is recent, dated September 12, 2025, and has not appeared elsewhere. The announcement is original and not recycled. The use of a press release indicates a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. No similar content has appeared more than 7 days earlier. The article includes updated data without recycling older material.

Quotes check

Score: 10

Notes: No direct quotes are present in the narrative, indicating original content.

Source reliability

Score: 10

Notes: The narrative originates from PR Newswire, a reputable press release distribution service, enhancing its reliability.

Plausability check

Score: 10

Notes: The claims about the joint venture and its objectives are plausible and align with the companies' previous activities. The narrative is consistent with the region and topic, with no suspicious language or tone. The structure is focused and relevant, without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for corporate communication.

Overall assessment

Veredict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary: The narrative is recent, original, and sourced from a reputable press release distribution service. It presents plausible claims consistent with the companies' previous activities and is well-structured and appropriately toned.