First Mover Benefits Seek by Archax in Novel Market Entry

Archax, a UK-based digital asset exchange, has expanded its reach globally, with a particular focus on the European Union. In a series of strategic acquisitions and partnerships, Archax is positioning itself as a leading player in the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs).

In July 2025, Archax announced its acquisition of Deutsche Digital Assets (DDA), a regulated crypto asset manager in Germany with around $70 million in assets under management. This deal extends Archax's regulated presence across key European markets, including the UK, Germany, France, and Spain.

Through DDA, Archax gains new licenses under Germany's BaFin regulatory authority, including portfolio management, investment advisory, contract brokerage, and distribution permissions. This allows Archax to cater to institutional clients more comprehensively across Europe.

The acquisition strategically positions Archax to offer a full suite of regulated digital asset solutions across much of Europe's fragmented market, ranging from native on-chain cryptocurrencies to institutional-grade crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs). The strengthened regulatory stack enables Archax to bridge traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure by providing tokenized RWAs such as private equity and real estate alongside crypto products.

Regarding expansion beyond Europe, Archax has opened an entity in the Dubai International Finance Centre under an innovation license. However, specific updates on Archax's activities or acquisitions in the United States are not available as of July 2025. The focus appears to be on consolidating its regulated structure across Europe.

Archax is also advancing institutional-ready offerings and moving towards tokenization on blockchain platforms such as Hedera. The broader market for tokenized RWAs has grown rapidly, with total market capitalization for tokenized equity and other RWAs surging massively in recent years, underpinning Archax's strategic direction.

Archax launched its tokenization engine in 2023, which can create tokens backed by any regulated or unregulated real-world or traditional asset. The company has since tokenized other money market funds and even used tokenized units of Aberdeen Investments' money market fund and tokenized UK gilts as collateral for foreign exchange trades between Aberdeen and Lloyds Banking Group for the first time in the UK.

Maximilian Lautenschläger, managing partner at Deutsche Digital Assets, sees joining Archax as creating synergy, particularly with access to institutional investors across Germany, France, and Switzerland. Barnby, from Archax, believes real momentum is building in digital assets, accelerated by the change in U.S. regulations.

In summary, Archax is one of Europe's most comprehensively licensed digital asset firms, uniquely placed to serve institutional investors in crypto and tokenized asset markets. The company's focus on the European Union and tokenized real-world assets positions it well for future growth and success in the rapidly evolving digital asset landscape.

References: - [1] Archax Press Release, July 2025. - [2] CoinDesk, "Archax to Tokenize Real-World Assets on Hedera Hashgraph," July 2025. - [3] Finextra, "Archax Acquires Deutsche Digital Assets," July 2025. - [4] The Block, "Archax to Acquire Globacap Private Markets," July 2023. - [5] Cointelegraph, "Archax to Tokenize Aberdeen Standard Liquidity Fund," July 2023.

Archax, having acquired Deutsche Digital Assets, now holds licenses to cater to institutional clients in Europe, offering a range of regulated digital asset solutions like cryptocurrencies, crypto exchange-traded products, and tokenized real-world assets.
The company's strategic expansion includes opening an entity in the Dubai International Finance Centre and launching its tokenization engine in 2023, which creates tokens backed by regulated or unregulated real-world assets.
With the growth of the tokenized real-world assets market, Archax has tokenized other money market funds, including units of Aberdeen Investments' money market fund, and used these tokenized assets as collateral for foreign exchange trades.
As Archax focuses on consolidating its regulated structure across Europe, there are no specific updates on its activities or acquisitions in the United States as of July 2025.
The combination of Archax and Deutsche Digital Assets creates synergy, with Maximilian Lautenschläger seeing access to institutional investors across Germany, France, and Switzerland as a significant benefit.