VanEck Launches VBILL, Its First RWA Tokenization Fund

• Blockchain Council
• May 15, 2025

VanEck has launched its first real-world asset (RWA) tokenization fund called VBILL, giving investors on-chain access to short-term U.S. Treasury bills. This new fund is now live across Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, and BNB Chain. It marks VanEck’s official entry into blockchain-based asset tokenization — a growing trend among traditional finance giants.

In this article, we’ll explain what VBILL is, how it works, how it compares to other tokenized Treasury funds, and why it matters to investors and institutions.

What is VBILL?

VBILL is VanEck’s newly introduced tokenized fund that gives institutions access to U.S. Treasury bills on blockchain. It is developed in partnership with Securitize, a digital asset tokenization platform.

The fund is fully backed by short-term Treasuries, with shares issued in the form of tokens. Investors can choose their preferred blockchain to hold their token shares — Ethereum, Solana, BNB Chain, or Avalanche.

The key goal is to bring traditional financial assets like Treasuries onto the blockchain — where they can be traded, redeemed, or used in DeFi ecosystems more easily.

Key Features of VanEck’s VBILL Fund

VBILL has some unique traits designed for serious institutional use:

• Minimum investment: $100,000 (on Avalanche, BNB Chain, Solana), $1 million (on Ethereum)
• Backed by: Short-term U.S. Treasury bills
• Custodian: State Street Bank & Trust
• Blockchain interoperability: Enabled via Wormhole protocol
• Instant liquidity: Available through atomic redemptions into AUSD, a stablecoin by Agora

How VBILL Works

Investors buy tokenized shares of VBILL. These shares represent ownership in a fund that holds real Treasuries. The tokens can be held in blockchain wallets, moved across chains, or redeemed for AUSD.

This model cuts down settlement time and brings more transparency. Instead of waiting days for traditional fund redemptions, users can instantly exit or trade their position. This makes VBILL appealing for treasury managers and crypto-native funds.

VBILL vs Other Tokenized Treasury Funds

Several asset managers have launched similar products. Here’s how VBILL stands up:

VanEck’s product targets bigger players, while others are more retail-focused.

Why VBILL Matters

Tokenizing real-world assets helps bridge the gap between traditional and decentralized finance. With VBILL, VanEck joins major players like BlackRock in experimenting with how blockchain can make asset ownership faster, cheaper, and more transparent.

It also proves that tokenized funds are not just a trend. They’re becoming a serious alternative to traditional mutual funds or ETFs — especially for cash-like assets like T-bills.

Technical Highlights VanEck’s VBILL Fund

VBILL is one of the first funds to allow cross-chain asset movement using Wormhole, a bridging protocol. It also integrates directly with DeFi tools. This means institutional investors could:

• Hold Treasuries on-chain for yield
• Use them as collateral
• Redeem them instantly for stablecoins

Here’s a quick table showing VBILL’s infrastructure at a glance:

What Investors Should Know

VBILL is not aimed at everyday retail buyers. The minimum investment barrier is high, signaling that this fund is meant for treasurers, hedge funds, and crypto-native asset managers.

Still, it’s a milestone for tokenized finance. It shows how fast RWA tokenization is evolving — and how seriously traditional firms are now exploring blockchain.

VanEck’s entry validates the market and sets a new standard for how tokenized funds could work in the future.

Want to Explore Blockchain Finance Further?

For anyone interested in how tokenized assets work and what’s next in blockchain investing, these certifications can help:

If you want to understand tokenization, wallets, and crypto mechanics, a Crypto Certification is a great place to start. If you’re more data-focused, the Data Science Certification covers analytics skills. And if you’re thinking of managing or promoting tokenized funds, explore the Marketing and Business Certification.

Conclusion

VanEck’s VBILL tokenized fund is a big step forward for institutional DeFi. It allows professional investors to access real U.S. Treasuries using blockchain wallets — with lower fees and faster settlement.

The fund sets a high bar for future tokenized products and confirms that RWA tokenization is no longer a concept. It’s real, and it’s here.