HamiltonA protocol specializing in real-world asset tokenization (RWA) on Bitcoin has raised a $1.7 million pre-seed funding round.
It is probably no coincidence that this is being announced on the day of Donald Trump’s inauguration in the US, where a shift from an anti-crypto government to one expected to be more sympathetic is taking place.
Hamilton, whose images include laser eyes protruding from Andrew Hamilton’s face, is bringing traditional finance to Bitcoin, making tokenized real-world assets such as fixed income, funds and real estate accessible to institutions and individuals around the world.
Led by DisruptTech VenturesThe deal included participation from investors CMS, DeSpread, Hyperithm, Core Ventures and other strategic investors.
The protocol was co-founded by Mohamed Elkastawi And Ehab Zaghloulwho collectively bring over a decade of experience building blockchain-integrated fintech platforms for emerging markets. Hamilton leverages Bitcoin’s unmatched security and decentralization to tokenize real-world assets. With the RWA market expected to reach $30 trillion by 2030, Hamilton is creating a protocol to make financial products more accessible and inclusive globally, starting with emerging markets.
“Bitcoin is not just digital gold. It is the foundational level for the future of global finance,” Hamilton CEO Elkasstawi said in a statement. “By building on the most trusted ledger with 99.99% uptime over nearly 15 years, we are connecting traditional finance with Bitcoin and democratizing access to capital markets for everyone, everywhere.”
Hamilton’s solutions address systemic barriers to access to finance by providing low-cost, stable financial products in emerging markets where currency devaluation and economic instability often limit opportunities for growth and financial security.
Hamilton launches three flagship offerings: HUSD, the first native stablecoin on Bitcoin backed by US Treasury bills; COUGH, tokenized US Treasuries; and Publius, a platform that allows financial institutions to tokenize any asset on Bitcoin, ensuring secure placement on the world’s most decentralized network. These offerings enable institutions and private individuals seamless access to the capital markets.
The company said this Opening transaction of the protocolcompleted on July 4, 2024, marked a significant milestone by tokenizing U.S. Treasury bills on Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions Stacks, Core and BoB. The timing, coinciding with America’s Independence Day, reflects Hamilton’s vision to advance financial independence and innovation through decentralized finance (DeFi).
“Investments in gold, treasury bills and fixed-interest products have traditionally been reserved exclusively for private individuals and institutions with millions in capital. “Hamilton is breaking down these barriers through tokenization, making it possible for anyone, anywhere in the world, to participate in these institutional investments with just $1,” Malek Sultan, co-founder and partner at DisrupTech Ventures, said in a statement.
Focused on emerging markets in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, Hamilton blends traditional finance with blockchain innovation, providing institutional-level investment opportunities through its flagship products.
Kasstawi has a bachelor’s degree in engineering management, while Zaghloul has a Ph.D. owns. in Computer Engineering from Michigan State University, specializing in blockchain security and cryptography.
When asked about the name and pictures, Kasstawi replied: “Alexander Hamilton’s Laser eyes are a playful nod to the Bitcoin community’s optimism and belief in Bitcoin’s potential. Laser eyes became iconic during the push to $100,000 as a symbol of collective determination. For us, it is also connected to Hamilton’s legacy as a financial architect – just as he laid the foundation for modern finance, we see Bitcoin as the infrastructure for the future of global finance. It’s a fun way to combine history with innovation.”
The team consists of six employees and is hiring. The company was founded in February 2024.
“Hamilton’s mission is deeply personal to me. “In 2013, my father retired from Saudi Arabia and was looking for ways to invest our family’s wealth,” Kasstawi said. “While studying in the US, I saw the first signs of recovery in the real estate market and convinced him to invest there. However, Egypt had recently introduced capital controls and rumors of currency devaluation were growing.”
In a casual conversation with some international student friends, they mentioned that they were facing similar issues in China, but said, “We use Bitcoin,” he said.
“At first I had no idea what Bitcoin was, but after a deep dive – including watching The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin – I realized it was the future of money. Bitcoin became the lifeline that allowed us to move funds for investment and save us from the devastating devaluation of the Egyptian pound,” Kasstawi said. “Back then, $1 was worth EGP 5; Today it is worth more than 50 – a staggering 900% loss in value. Bitcoin has not only made the investment possible, but it has also protected our family’s financial future from devastating currency devaluation.”
Years later, another family member in Qatar faced a different challenge, he said. After retirement, they looked for fixed income products to generate monthly income. Without access to institutional options like BlackRock or Franklin Templeton, they rely on local CDs with high interest rates, he said.
“When the currency was devalued, they lost a significant portion of their assets, a devaluation of 233.33%,” he said. “These experiences led me to ask: How can we create a system where anyone, anywhere – even with just $1 – can access institutional investments?”
The name Hamilton honors Alexander Hamilton, the first U.S. Treasury Secretary and financial visionary who redefined finance of his time, he said.
“Inspired by its legacy and Satoshi Nakamoto’s groundbreaking innovation, we aim to leverage Bitcoin’s unparalleled decentralization, security and resilience to make real-world assets accessible worldwide,” Kasstawi said. “Our goal is simple: real-world assets. Accessible to everyone. Secured by Bitcoin.”
He said you could imagine someone in the U.S. investing in real estate in the United Arab Emirates or government bonds with just $1 and having quick liquidity 24/7. Or someone in Egypt accessing a real estate ETF managed by BlackRock. “By tokenizing real-world assets on Bitcoin, we are making this vision a reality,” he said.
“We asked potential customers in emerging markets: If you could access real-world assets protected off-chain by a fiduciary structure and on-chain as a digital token, where would you want them?” The overwhelming response was clear – in Bitcoin . Its decentralization, security, resilience and unmatched uptime make it the ideal infrastructure,” Kasstawi said.
Crypto and DeFi are showing signs of a solution, but the user experience is still terrible – complex and inaccessible to the average user, he said.
“I couldn’t expect my family in Egypt to be comfortable with stablecoins and DeFi protocols, let alone trust them for financial security. That’s why we chose Bitcoin,” he said. “Bitcoin is not just digital gold – it is the new foundation of capital markets. By connecting traditional finance with Bitcoin, we are creating a fairer, more inclusive system for everyone.”
Hamilton isn’t just about tokenizing real-world assets; It’s about making sure no one is left behind, he said. By leveraging Bitcoin’s unmatched infrastructure, we can offer institutional-grade financial products to people everywhere, especially in emerging markets.
“That is our mission: to build a system that is as resilient and innovative as the people it serves,” he said.
Legal notice: The company stated that its press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.
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