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I recently came across a very interesting fundraising case. A project focused on credit card receivables tokenization raised $200 million, with Mars Capital backing it. At the same time, they launched GemStone, a flagship product dedicated to the tokenization of credit card collection rights in the Brazilian market. This approach initially seems novel, but upon closer inspection, the logic is quite solid.
Latin America's banking system generally has low efficiency, and financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is difficult—an old problem. But this project has thought of a new angle: packaging future credit card receivables into on-chain tokens. Investors can purchase these tokens to earn returns, while companies receive cash immediately. In simple terms, it's a textbook application of RWA (Real-World Asset on-chain)—turning real-world receivables into tradable digital assets.
Why choose Brazil? This step is crucial. Brazil is Latin America's largest economy, with a high credit card penetration rate, and the size of the receivables market is substantial. More importantly, Brazil ranks high globally in cryptocurrency acceptance. The local currency is highly volatile, and residents are accustomed to using stablecoins for value preservation. Building on this foundation makes tokenized credit easier to push forward with less resistance. The entry point is quite strategic.
So, how will the $200 million be spent? Mainly on building the B2B integration infrastructure. Simply put, it involves connecting major payment processors, banks, and e-commerce platforms to streamline data and fund flows related to receivables. The technical aspect isn't complicated; the real challenge lies in business development and compliance. Latin American countries have highly fragmented regulations, with each country requiring separate licensing and procedures. Most of this funding will be spent on legal and government relations.
The design of the GemStone product is also worth noting. It is an investment-grade tokenized asset, meaning third-party rating agencies will evaluate it, and it offers fixed returns with a maturity date. This structure is very friendly to traditional financial investors—unlike DeFi liquidity pools with floating yields, where risk is harder to quantify. Such structured products are more likely to attract institutional capital, especially funds looking to allocate to emerging market bonds but finding traditional channels too cumbersome.
From a broader trend perspective, this fundraising indicates that RWA has moved beyond conceptual hype into real implementation. Regions like Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa, with their underdeveloped traditional financial infrastructure, present opportunities for blockchain applications to leapfrog. If this project can succeed in Brazil, it could quickly expand to Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and beyond. This exemplifies the true potential of blockchain in emerging markets.
However, risks must not be overlooked. The biggest pitfall of tokenized credit is the quality of the underlying assets. If credit card default rates rise, the value of the tokens could plummet. Additionally, Brazil's economy is inherently volatile, and policy risks exist. Institutions investing in such assets must have solid liquidity management plans. Cross-border capital flows could also trigger foreign exchange control issues. These are potential risk points that need to be carefully considered in advance.