Plume: Bringing real assets to life on the chain, ushering in a new era of crypto-native investment

Recently, I read an in-depth interview with Chris Yin, co-founder and CEO of Plume, conducted by Mars Finance, and I gained a lot from it. The interview not only detailed Plume's practices in the on-chainization of RWA (Real World Assets) but also gave me a more intuitive understanding of the potential of "crypto-native assets"—it is not just about asset digitization, but a comprehensive upgrade of product design, user experience, and ecosystem building.

In the global crypto financial ecosystem, RWA is gradually becoming an important bridge connecting traditional finance and the on-chain economy, and Plume's exploration provides a new paradigm for the market and users: not only on-chain assets but also assets that are "active, combinable, and yield-generating."

On-chain is not just simple transportation, but a complete reshaping

Many traditional financial institutions, when putting assets on-chain, merely digitize the assets. Taking the purchase of U.S. Treasury bonds as an example, the traditional process is cumbersome: opening an account, filling out materials, with a minimum investment amount reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars, and operations can only be conducted on trading days. The threshold for ordinary investors to participate in the global financial market is very high.

Plume, on the other hand, takes a different path—redesigning the user experience in a crypto-native way. Chris Yin stated, "We are not just moving assets onto the chain; we are giving them new vitality on the chain. Users can purchase Treasury bonds, mineral rights, or collectibles just like using stablecoins and immediately receive profit distributions."

For example: Xiao Zhang wants to buy on-chain Treasury bonds; he only needs to select a contract in the Plume app, deposit 1000 USDS, click exchange, and the purchase is complete, with profits automatically distributed daily. Compared to traditional banks, this process is more than ten times faster and greatly lowers the investment threshold.

A rich product line: Treasury bonds, mineral rights, collectibles

Plume's RWA products cover multiple categories, from traditional finance to alternative assets, collectibles, and even institutional financial products, meeting the needs of different users.

• On-chain Treasury bonds
  Users purchase with USDS or other stablecoins, and profits are automatically distributed. For example, investing 1000 USDS for two months, assuming an annual return of 5%, one could earn about 8 dollars in two months. Funds can be withdrawn at any time and can also participate in other composite investments.

• Mineral Vault tokenized mineral rights
  Plume has tokenized about 3,000 oil wells in Texas, allowing ordinary investors to participate in stable cash flow returns. Within two months, there were over 85,000 on-chain holders, accounting for more than 10% of the original shareholders. Users can earn profits with just a few clicks. Compared to traditional investments, this lowers the threshold and enhances liquidity.

• Tokenization of collectibles
  Plume has also tokenized rare collectibles such as whiskey, wine, and Pokémon cards on-chain. Users can enjoy appreciation and trading profits without having to store the physical items, while the assets can circulate freely in the secondary market, achieving integration of investment and trading.

These cases show that Plume not only "moves assets onto the chain" but also makes assets "active on the chain," providing an unprecedented operational experience and liquidity.

Leverage cycle: Unlocking on-chain yield potential

Plume has pioneered on-chain leverage cycle operations: users can borrow funds and then invest in more assets, creating a yield cycle. For example, Mineral Vault has facilitated approximately $40 million in leveraged transactions. Xiao Li invests 1000 USDS and borrows an additional 1000 USDS to invest in mineral rights, potentially doubling his returns. This kind of operation is typically only available to institutional investors in traditional markets, but Plume allows ordinary users to participate with a low threshold.

Full-stack strategy: Technology, compliance, and ecosystem in parallel

Building a complete RWA ecosystem is not only a technical issue but also involves legal, regulatory, and operational aspects. Plume adopts a full-stack strategy, laying out everything from Layer 1 chains, Layer 2 protocols to application ecosystems, ensuring the smooth implementation of asset on-chainization.

The Nest protocol simplifies complex RWA operations into an experience similar to Uniswap: select a contract, deposit, and exchange to complete profit distribution. Users can operate assets safely and efficiently without needing to understand the complex processes behind it. At the same time, Plume integrates KYC, AML, tax, custody, and compliance systems to ensure global users can use the platform safely and worry-free.

User stories: A global perspective

• Xiao Zhang (Chinese user): Buys Treasury bonds on Plume using stablecoins, with profits automatically distributed daily. He can withdraw funds or combine investments in collectibles at any time, achieving flexible asset management.

• Xiao Li (European user): Invests in Mineral Vault mineral rights, enhancing returns through leverage cycle operations, and reinvests part of the profits into on-chain collectibles, achieving a diversified investment portfolio.

• Institutional investor (U.S. fund): Participates in the global capital market through Plume's tokenized assets while enjoying automatic profit distribution and liquidity management, with operational efficiency far exceeding traditional models.

These stories demonstrate the convenience of Plume's operations and the potential for returns, making it easier for readers to understand the value of on-chain investments.

User growth and market prospects

Plume's user expansion strategy is divided into two phases:

1. Internal growth within the crypto ecosystem: Attracting crypto-native users and deep DeFi users, forming network effects through on-chain RWA products.

2. Global user expansion: Collaborating with stablecoins and mainstream financial platforms (such as Revolut, Nubank) to embed on-chain products into everyday financial scenarios, achieving natural user conversion.

Chris Yin pointed out, "The scale of RWA in the crypto field is still very small, with stablecoins around $200 billion, while RWA is less than $10 billion, indicating huge growth potential. Plume hopes to bring global capital on-chain, allowing more users to enjoy the dividends of asset appreciation."

Looking to the future: The infinite possibilities of crypto-native RWA

Plume's practices indicate that on-chain RWA is not only about asset digitization but also a comprehensive upgrade of product experience, ecosystem construction, and yield mechanisms. Ordinary users can participate in high-quality global assets with a low threshold, enjoying instant trading, automatic profit distribution, and diversified portfolio capabilities; ecosystem builders gain innovative products and service models.

Chris Yin concluded, "The future of RWA is just beginning. The most exciting ideas have yet to be born, and we are building a whole new world where crypto assets and real-world assets will truly merge, creating unprecedented opportunities for global users."