FinanceKamino Appoints Michael Weisz as CEO for U.S. Expansion
Michael Weisz will guide Kamino from its new headquarters in New York as the DeFi lender ventures into tokenized assets.
By Krisztian Sandor|Edited by Cheyenne LigonUpdated 18 min agoPublished 58 min ago2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on
Michael Weisz, CEO of Kamino (Kamino)- Kamino, a lending protocol on Solana with $1.4 billion in assets, is opening a new headquarters in New York and has appointed Michael Weisz, co-founder of Yieldstreet, as its CEO.
- The company aims to broaden its lending services to include tokenized real-world assets, such as blockchain-based home equity loans, while forging stronger connections with Wall Street firms.
- Over the past four years, Kamino claims to have facilitated more than $650 billion in transactions, and its PRIME lending market has seen deposits exceeding $600 million within just 107 days of launching.
On Tuesday, the firm announced Michael Weisz, previously a co-founder of Yieldstreet, as its new CEO to spearhead this initiative. Kamino is currently scouting for approximately 20,000 square feet of office space in New York and intends to recruit a chief financial officer and a legal head.
Weisz, who co-founded Yieldstreet (now known as Willow Wealth), has overseen the deployment of over $6 billion in investments alongside major firms like Goldman Sachs, Carlyle, KKR, and Ares.
Weisz remarked, "Being in New York places Kamino at the junction of asset managers, distribution platforms, and institutional capital that will shape the future of on-chain finance."
Tokenization, which involves moving traditional assets like stocks and bonds onto blockchain technology, has emerged as a significant focus for Wall Street's engagement with crypto. Citi has projected that the market for tokenized securities might reach $5.5 trillion by 2030 as banks and asset managers explore quicker settlement times, round-the-clock markets, and innovative collateral options.
Lending Against Tokenized Assets
Kamino enables users to lend crypto assets or borrow against them. The company is now expanding this model to encompass tokenized real-world assets, allowing investors to finance or leverage those assets as collateral once they are on-chain.
Its PRIME market, which was developed in collaboration with Figure Technologies and Hastra, employs blockchain-based home equity loans from Figure as collateral. Kamino reported that deposits in this market surpassed $600 million within about three months post-launch.
Additionally, Forward Industries (FWDI), listed on Nasdaq, and Galaxy GLXY$22.33, a digital asset management firm, are utilizing Kamino’s infrastructure for tokenized equity and U.S. Treasury positions, according to the company.
Establishing a Wall Street Presence
Setting up in New York positions Kamino closer to the financial institutions and asset managers it seeks to attract to its platform.
Weisz noted, "The most challenging aspect is rarely the creation of the asset; it's about building the infrastructure that aligns with distribution and meets the needs of asset managers where they are."
Kamino has indicated that it has achieved over $650 billion in total transaction volume throughout its four years of operation.
This expansion aligns with the evolving nature of tokenization, which now extends beyond merely placing assets onto blockchains. The development of lending and collateral markets surrounding these assets presents new opportunities for DeFi platforms like Kamino to engage with traditional financial entities.
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Tokenized Equities Lead RWA Inflows as bStocks Sets the Pace
Tokenized Equities Lead RWA Inflows as bStocks Sets the Pace
Tokenized equities are at the forefront of RWA inflows as the market recovers; Binance's bStocks reached approximately $118.5M in two months, becoming the second largest issuer and representing about 90% of on-chain equity DEX volume.
By CoinDesk ResearchAug 27, 2026Tokenized equities are leading RWA inflows as the market rebounds; Binance's bStocks hit around $118.5M in two months, now the second-largest issuer and accounting for ~90% of on-chain equity DEX volume.
Why it matters:
Tokenized equities are leading RWA inflows as the market rebounds; Binance's bStocks hit around $118.5M in two months, now the second-largest issuer and accounting for ~90% of on-chain equity DEX volume.
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