ARK Invest has moved its Venture Fund onto the Ethereum blockchain, enabling eligible investors to subscribe and redeem holdings entirely onchain using USDC. The fund, listed as ARKVX Class D shares, processed its first tokenized subscriptions through Securitize's platform on September 24, 2026.
The actively managed fund holds stakes in private companies including SpaceX and OpenAI, making private market exposure available through crypto wallets with a minimum investment of $500.
How Subscriptions and Redemptions Work
The tokenization uses the ERC-7540 standard for asynchronous vault requests. Investors submit USDC subscription requests recorded onchain immediately, with fund tokens delivered to their wallet after end-of-day net asset value calculations. This means investors pay the officially calculated NAV rather than a spot market price.
The net asset value stood at $60.49 per share on September 23, 2026. A 2% subscription fee is deducted before NAV is applied, reducing the share count investors receive. Each tokenized interest represents a 1:1 claim on underlying ARK Venture Fund shares, which BNY Mellon holds as custodian.
Redemptions follow the same onchain structure, with requests recorded immediately and settlement occurring post-NAV. No secondary market is planned for the tokenized assets, preserving the fund's existing liquidity terms: quarterly repurchase offers capped at 5% of outstanding shares, subject to proration if redemption demand exceeds that limit.
Fund Performance and Structure
ARKVX targets disruptive innovation with concentrated exposure to artificial intelligence and aerospace sectors. The fund reported a 20.35% return in the second quarter of 2026, compared to the S&P 500's 15.20% gain over the same period. Year-to-date performance through mid-2026 reached 26.71%, with approximately $1.3 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026.
Annual expenses are approximately 3.49%. The $500 minimum investment is significantly lower than typical interval funds and alternative vehicles, which commonly require tens of thousands of dollars.
Strategic Context
ARK made a direct investment in Securitize in October 2025. Securitize's chief executive Carlos Domingo emphasized the significance of moving established financial products onto blockchain infrastructure rather than building new crypto-native products.
