- Aria PRIME debuts with $100M BTS and BLACKPINK catalogs tokenized on Story.
- Institutional investors gain permissioned access to tokenized music IP.
- Analysts project tokenized IP could expand into $1T market in five years.
Aria Protocol rolled out Aria PRIME, its institutional arm, launching with $100 million in tokenized K-music catalogs through a partnership with Story Protocol and Contents Technologies on Sept. 22, 2025.
PRIME targets permissioned, institutional-grade buyers and frames cultural IP as a revenue-bearing, on-chain asset class.
What launched, and who’s behind it
Aria PRIME is purpose-built for large IP portfolios, starting with music, and runs on Story Protocol’s IP rails.
The initial deal brings Korean catalogs on-chain; Story’s post highlighted an “iconic lineup” that includes BTS, BLACKPINK, and Justin Bieber as part of the broader roster.
How PRIME packages the asset
Rights holders can tokenize catalogs into fungible units for control, transparency, and liquidity, with a path to future composability inside Aria’s stack.
PRIME’s access is permissioned; built for institutional-grade investors and compliance workflows, not open retail flow.
Why it matters for IP-as-RWA
This is culture meeting capital. PRIME positions music rights as productive RWAs with on-chain settlement and clearer provenance. It also plants a flag for expansion beyond music, i.e., film, art, and franchise IP, as Aria builds an institutional marketplace around Story’s IP infrastructure.
Tokenization Trend in Broader Markets
The announcement comes along with rising institutional interest in tokenization. Analysts at Jefferies recently projected that the tokenization of real-world assets could create a $1 trillion market within five years. They noted that financial institutions are increasingly adopting blockchain to enable continuous trading and real-time settlement.
Related: Hong Kong to Support Commercial Bank Tokenization Initiatives in 2025 Policy Address
Jefferies also forecasted 10 to 15 tokenization-related IPOs in the near term, highlighting the sector’s rapid acceleration. The bank compared the current moment to the internet era of 1996, where projects with long-term utility are expected to outlast early entrants.
Related: Saudi Awwal Bank Adopts Chainlink for Capital Markets Tokenization; LINK Holds Near $23
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