New York Life Investment Management Bets on Tokenization

The investment arm of insurer New York Life is entering the world of tokenized assets, according to a Tuesday (June 30) press release.

New York Life Investment Management (NYLIM) is partnering with tokenization platform Centrifuge to introduce the NYLIM Anemoy U.S. High Yield Corporate Bond Segregated Portfolio, its first tokenized investment product, the release said.

“Tokenization represents a compelling evolution in how investment solutions can be accessed, managed and distributed across both public and private markets,” Thomas Sy, head of multi-asset solutions for NYLIM, said in the release. “As investor demand continues to grow around transparency, efficiency and broader market participation, we are exploring opportunities where blockchain-enabled infrastructure can complement our existing platform and deepen the value we deliver to clients.”

The tokenization of NYLIM’s high-yield corporate bond strategy represents “a significant step toward expanding access to income-oriented strategies through next-generation infrastructure,” according to the release.

Centrifuge Co-Founder Anil Sood said in the release that the partnership is about “moving funds onto infrastructure that is more transparent, more efficient and more composable.”

The last year has seen the tokenized asset market surge. Data from RWA.xyz showed that the value of tokenized real-world assets surpassed $26.4 billion in on-chain value (stablecoins excluded) as of March, up from around $6.6 billion during the same point in 2025.

Meanwhile, many of the biggest developments in blockchain finance have shifted from the edges of the financial system to its center.

Banks, regulators, exchanges, asset managers and payments providers are no longer looking at blockchain as a parallel financial system, but as a faster, more efficient method of packaging, distributing and settling their products.

“Of course, crypto-native firms are targeting many of the same commercial and customer outcomes,” PYMNTS reported this month, pointing to announcements from companies such as Intercontinental Exchange, Franklin Templeton, MoneyGram, MoonPay and Anchorage Digital.

“The shift raises larger questions for regulators as well,” the report added. “If a money market fund, a payment account or a custody service can be delivered through blockchain infrastructure, what exactly should be regulated: the institution, the product, the technology, or all three?”