Digital asset infrastructure firm BitGo and New York-based investment platform Republic have announced a strategic partnership aimed at democratizing access to private equity and other alternative investment opportunities. The collaboration marks a significant step toward making traditionally exclusive financial instruments available to everyday investors through blockchain technology.
Tokenizing Private Markets for the Masses
Historically, private equity investments have been limited to institutional players and high-net-worth individuals. Through its partnership with BitGo, Republic plans to change that by bringing such opportunities on-chain—making them accessible to individual investors worldwide.
Republic will leverage BitGo’s industry-leading infrastructure to support its blockchain-powered investment ecosystem. The partnership’s first major milestone includes tokenizing the Hamilton Lane Private Infrastructure Fund (HLPIF), which was recently added to Republic’s investment platform. This move allows retail investors to gain fractional access to a high-quality private market asset that was once only available to a select few.
“Bringing the needed infrastructure to Republic in order to offer its investors access to never-before reachable assets is what BitGo is all about,” said Mike Belshe, CEO and co-founder of BitGo. “BitGo is most known for custodying digital assets, but our infrastructure is also able to power regulated securities, whether tokenized on-chain or on paper off-chain.”
BitGo: Enabling the Shift to On-Chain Finance
Founded in 2013, BitGo has become a cornerstone of the digital asset industry, offering custody, wallet services, staking, and trading solutions. As global financial markets increasingly embrace blockchain technology, BitGo is positioning itself to be “the backbone of that transition,” Belshe added.
Beyond crypto custody, BitGo’s recent initiatives reflect a broader push into mainstream financial infrastructure. In December 2024, the company launched a retail-focused platform to extend its services beyond institutional clients. That effort was further bolstered by the debut of BitGo’s global over-the-counter (OTC) crypto trading desk in February 2025, offering both spot and derivatives trading access.
BitGo’s continued expansion and innovation come amid industry speculation that the company may be preparing for a public listing.
Looking Ahead
As more private market investment products become tokenized, the Republic-BitGo partnership is expected to unlock new avenues for individual investors to participate in financial products that were previously out of reach.
The partnership is also emblematic of a broader shift in how digital infrastructure is shaping the future of finance—bringing transparency, security, and inclusivity to markets that have historically lacked all three.
