Aria Tokenizes IP's Future with $15M to Unlock Royalty Liquidity

Aria Protocol Labs Inc. and Aria Foundation have secured $15 million in combined seed and strategic funding to advance their platform for tokenizing intellectual property (IP). The funding round, which includes participation from Polychain Capital, Neoclassic Capital, and Story Protocol Foundation, among other unnamed investors in the crypto, IP, and entertainment sectors, values Aria at $50 million in equity. The capital infusion is intended to accelerate ecosystem and protocol development, expand into new creative verticals, and grow the onchain IP economy. The rounds were finalized in August 2025, with discussions beginning as early as March 2025.

Aria’s platform, built on the Story blockchain, focuses on making IP assets such as music royalties accessible through tokenization. This approach allows for the creation of liquid, fungible tokens backed by revenue-generating real-world assets, addressing the historically illiquid nature of IP ownership. The platform’s first IP-backed token, APL (Aria Premiere Launch), was launched in February 2025 and represents royalties from songs performed by global stars including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, BLACKPINK, and BTS. The token was funded via $10.95 million raised on Stakestone’s LiquidityPad, marking one of the largest tokenizations of iconic music IP to date.

The $15 million in funding includes a mix of equity and token warrants, with Aria planning to issue a native token in the future. According to David Kostiner, co-founder and chief IP officer of Aria Protocol Labs Inc., the dual structure reflects the project’s identity as both a tech company and a tokenized infrastructure layer for real-world assets. The capital will be used to expand the team, form new artist partnerships, and develop features such as programmable remix licensing and revenue splits. Aria’s goal is to create a transparent, decentralized ecosystem where investors, fans, and creators can access and profit from iconic IP.

The platform currently generates revenue through origination fees on new IP tokenization launches, transaction and platform fees on secondary trading and staking, and management fees on curated IP vaults and structured products. To demonstrate the model’s viability, Aria has waived origination fees for early launches. APL holders can stake their tokens to gain exposure to real-world music royalties, transforming what was once a highly restricted asset class into a yield-bearing instrument.

Aria aims to expand beyond music into other creative domains, including art and film/TV. This expansion is part of a broader strategy to build a composable, onchain IP economy. The platform’s long-term vision is to create dynamic, programmable tokens tied to real-world revenue streams, distinguishing itself from other tokenization platforms that offer static representations of value. By embedding licensing logic and attribution directly onchain, Aria aims to streamline IP management and royalty distribution in the digital age.

The platform’s growth aligns with increasing demand for authentic, licensed content in an era of AI-generated media and rapid digital distribution. As the market for IP as a real-world asset class continues to evolve, Aria positions itself as a bridge between traditional IP holders and a decentralized, programmable future. The firm’s strategic focus on scalability, transparency, and creator alignment underscores its ambition to redefine the IP economy.

Source:

[1] Aria Secures $15M in Funding from Polychain, Neoclassic, Story Foundation and Other Strategic Partners to Bring Iconic IP Onchain as Liquid, Fungible Assets (https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aria-secures-15m-in-funding-from-polychain-neoclassic-story-foundation-and-other-strategic-partners-to-bring-iconic-ip-onchain-as-liquid-fungible-assets-302545428.html)

[2] Story-based IP tokenization platform Aria raises $15 million at $50 million valuation (https://www.theblock.co/post/369340/story-based-ip-tokenization-platform-aria-raises-15-million-at-50-million-valuation?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=markets.xml)

[3] The IP tokenization platform Aria has completed two ... (https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2203050)

[4] IP 代币化平台Aria 以5000 万美元估值完成两轮1500 ... (https://www.chaincatcher.com/article/2203050)

[5] IP代幣化平臺Aria以5000萬美元估值完成兩輪1500萬美元融資 (https://followin.io/zh-Hant/feed/19777883)