Cross River and Offchain Bring Native Tokenization to Lending Infrastructure

Developed alongside Offchain Enterprise Services on Arbitrum One, the solution builds tokenization into Cross River's platform so assets can be tokenized at origination, unlocking new products and new pools of global capital, including onchain funds and international investors.

FORT LEE, N.J. - Cross River and Offchain, the company building the foundation for the programmable economy and the developer of Arbitrum, are partnering to integrate tokenization directly into Cross River's lending platform, enabling assets originated through the platform to be tokenized from day one.

Most tokenization initiatives begin after an asset has already been created. Loans are originated, serviced and distributed through traditional infrastructure before being transferred onto blockchain-based systems.

This solution takes a different approach. Tokenization is being built directly into the lending and origination process, enabling assets to be funded, held and transferred on Arbitrum One from the moment they are created. Ownership, funding, payment and servicing activity can remain on a shared record throughout the asset lifecycle rather than moving across multiple systems as assets change hands.

The borrower experience allows for streamlined process. For example, applications, funding, and repayments continue through the same customer-facing experiences they use today, with Offchain's ZeroDev wallet infrastructure embedded underneath. What changes is the asset itself: from the moment it is originated, a loan can be digitally funded, owned, transferred and serviced within a modernized capital markets framework.

"Tokenization belongs at origination," said Gilles Gade, Founder and CEO of Cross River. "Starting there means one record, fewer steps, from funding through every change of hands. We're very excited to build this with Steven Goldfeder and the Offchain team."

"Financial institutions need infrastructure they can shape around their business," said Steven Goldfeder, CEO and co-founder of Offchain. "With Cross River, we're bringing the engineers building the underlying technology directly into the design and build of the product. That is what Offchain Enterprise Services delivers: the ability to create new financial products while retaining control over how they operate and grow."

Tokenized origination advances what lending platforms can do

Assets originated through the Cross River platform can be structured for funding, ownership transfer, and distribution from the moment they are created. Rather than introducing tokenization as a downstream process, the technology becomes part of the core lending infrastructure.

Expanding capital markets capabilities

The opportunity extends beyond operational efficiencies.

Native tokenization enables new models for funding and distributing originated assets, including continuous forward-flow purchase programs, more flexible commitment sizes and new approaches to packaging and delivering to credit investors.

Many of these models are difficult to support efficiently through traditional funding processes. Building tokenization directly into origination creates a foundation for credit products that can operate more continuously and programmatically. Because the infrastructure is built into the Cross River platform itself, fintechs and lending partners can access these capabilities without changing how they originate loans or serve borrowers.

Blockchain infrastructure with bank-grade trust

Cross River remains the regulated bank and lender of record for assets originated through the platform. Tokenization does not change the underwriting, risk management or compliance standards applied to originated assets. Instead, it changes how those assets can be funded, owned and distributed once originated.

That combination of regulated origination and native tokenization is what makes the initiative distinct. Rather than adapting existing assets for onchain distribution, the platform is being designed so originated assets can be tokenized from inception while remaining within a bank-led framework.

Cross River selected Offchain Enterprise Services for its ability to combine dedicated engineering with the underlying blockchain and wallet infrastructure. Offchain's forward-deployed engineers are building alongside Cross River's team, bringing ZeroDev wallet infrastructure and Arbitrum One together in a single delivery and bringing the product to market faster.

Cross River and Offchain completed a proof of concept demonstrating loan tokenization and are now building toward production deployment, targeted for early 2027.