NEXBRIDGE is an infrastructure project launched under the legal framework of El Salvador, aimed at introducing regulated digital assets tied to real-world financial instruments directly onto the Bitcoin blockchain. Its most prominent case is the issuance of tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills (USTBL) via the Liquid Network and Blockstream AMP platform. The project combines the reliability of traditional markets with the innovation of the Bitcoin ecosystem and is designed to promote institutional standards in blockchain finance.
Contents
- General Overview of NEXBRIDGE
- Technical Architecture and Liquid Network
- The USTBL Case — Tokenized T‑bills
- Business Model, Participants, Issuance
- Funding and Development Plans
- Regulation and Legal Framework
- Conclusion
1. General Overview of NEXBRIDGE
NEXBRIDGE is an infrastructure platform focused on issuing tokenized assets and integrating traditional finance with blockchain systems. Launched with support from El Salvador and aimed at institutional investors, the project embraces the concept of BitcoinFi—shifting conventional financial instruments to the Bitcoin layer.
Based on a regulated, publicly supervised model, NEXBRIDGE leverages the Liquid Network for security and scalability. Key partners include Grant Thornton and Bitfinex Securities, who provide auditing and trading infrastructure. The platform covers a wide range of assets—from government bonds to capital-protected strategies. Initially centered around the USTBL issuance, NEXBRIDGE is now evolving toward the launch of NEXPLACE, a platform for trading tokenized assets and cryptocurrencies.
2. Technical Architecture and Liquid Network
NEXBRIDGE relies on Liquid Network, a Bitcoin sidechain developed by Blockstream. Optimized for handling digital assets, Liquid offers key advantages: high transaction throughput, built-in confidentiality, and support for atomic swaps. These features make it well-suited for issuing and managing tokenized financial instruments.
The project’s operational framework consists of the following stages:
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Structuring | Defining the structure of the asset, including financial characteristics and legal basis |
| Issuance | Formal token issuance following KYC/AML procedures and regulatory approval |
| Trading | Listing on regulated platforms and establishing liquidity mechanisms |
| Proof-of-Reserve | Monthly independent audits verifying reserve holdings (auditor: Grant Thornton) |
Liquid also supports smart contracts and confidential transactions, ensuring institutional-grade transparency and security for asset issuance and circulation. This enables NEXBRIDGE to deliver a scalable, legally robust infrastructure for real-world asset tokenization on Bitcoin.
3. The USTBL Case — Tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills
The most prominent implementation of NEXBRIDGE’s model is USTBL—the world’s first fully regulated issuance of tokenized U.S. Treasury Bills, launched in collaboration with Bitfinex Securities. This product merges the reliability of government bonds with the flexibility of digital assets, serving as a flagship use case for the platform’s capabilities.
Key features of USTBL include:
- Registration: Issuer (EAD‑0005), issuance (AD‑00004) registered under El Salvador’s National Digital Assets Commission (CNAD);
- Unlimited issuance: Tokens are issued based on demand and are tradable on Bitfinex and other licensed platforms;
- Trading support: Available in pairs with USDT and BTC, making it accessible to both traditional and crypto investors;
- Dynamic supply: Tokens are minted as funds are raised, with daily NAV recalculations;
- Proof-of-Reserve audits: Monthly third-party verification of reserves by Grant Thornton;
- Sales launch: The first issuance began in November 2024, reaching a soft cap of $30 million by December.
Since December 2024, biweekly subscription windows have been opened, ensuring continued investor access. USTBL has quickly gained recognition as a reliable and transparent yield-bearing instrument backed by real-world value.
4. Business Model, Participants, Issuance
The NEXBRIDGE ecosystem is designed to integrate legally compliant infrastructure with flexible digital mechanisms for asset distribution. Each tokenized issuance follows a full lifecycle—from asset selection to trading and auditing—while maintaining regulatory alignment and investor protection.
The model includes the following components:
- Asset Selection: High-grade financial instruments traded on traditional markets;
- Structuring: Legal and technical preparation, including documentation and regulatory compliance;
- Issuance: Token minting upon reaching investment thresholds and regulatory approval;
- Trading: Listings on licensed exchanges and OTC desks (e.g., Bitfinex Securities);
- Liquidity Support: Tools such as atomic swaps, redemption windows, and on-demand delivery;
- Infrastructure: Built on Liquid Network and Blockstream AMP;
- Custodians and Auditors: Asset custody via Capital Union Bank and auditing by Grant Thornton;
- NEXPLACE (under development): A dedicated platform for tokenized assets and cryptocurrency trading.
This multi-layered structure creates a reliable and transparent environment for both institutional and crypto-native participants. It also enables easy expansion into new asset classes such as index funds, capital-protected strategies, and next-generation tokenized securities.
5. Funding and Development Plans
As part of its growth strategy, NEXBRIDGE and its upcoming platform NEXPLACE secured $8 million in Series A funding from Bitcoin-focused VC firm Fulgur Ventures. The capital is being used to accelerate the ecosystem’s development, including the launch of new tokenized products, expansion beyond Bitfinex, and the full release of NEXPLACE in the second half of 2025.
Additionally, the team is building an in-house OTC desk to provide institutional-grade liquidity and preparing self-custody features that will allow users to independently manage their tokenized holdings. These developments reinforce the project's long-term vision of building a Bitcoin-native finance-as-a-service infrastructure.
6. Regulation and Legal Framework
NEXBRIDGE operates under El Salvador’s Digital Assets Law, enacted in 2023, and is supervised by the National Digital Assets Commission (CNAD). Each issuance is officially registered, assigned a unique identifier, and undergoes ongoing documentation and audit processes.
Transparency is ensured through AML/KYC compliance for all participants, public disclosure of RID documents, and monthly Proof-of-Reserve audits. These measures are complemented by legal investor protections, and any asset issuance without CNAD approval is deemed invalid.
As a result, NEXBRIDGE is helping to establish a new regulatory standard that can be extended beyond El Salvador through integration with licensed global exchanges and partners.
7. Conclusion
NEXBRIDGE exemplifies how traditional financial assets can be reimagined on the blockchain. By leveraging the Liquid Network and collaborating closely with regulators and auditors, the project is building a bridge between conventional capital markets and the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Through the USTBL case, it has demonstrated its capacity to issue real-world, yield-generating instruments on-chain and laid the groundwork for future diversification into new asset types, platforms, and custody options. The $8M in Series A funding provides a strong foundation for scaling operations and launching NEXPLACE.
Ultimately, NEXBRIDGE represents a major step forward for Real World Assets on Bitcoin. It offers institutions access to compliant, transparent digital instruments, while opening up secure yield opportunities for the broader crypto community. Blockchain, in this case, is not just experimental infrastructure—it becomes a fully fledged layer of global finance.
