OpenWorld, Inc. completed its business combination with VerifyMe, Inc. on October 1, renaming the Nasdaq-listed company OpenWorld, Inc. and shifting it toward real-world asset tokenization under digital-assets veteran Matthew Shaw, according to a company announcement. The deal moves a publicly traded company into the tokenization of physical assets and operating-business cash flows, a segment drawing growing attention from institutional investors.
How the combination was structured
The combined company’s common stock began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker OPNW at market open on October 1, replacing VerifyMe’s former VRME listing. Shaw, who has co-founded multiple technology and crypto companies and served as a director on several token projects, becomes chairman and chief executive officer. Russ McMeekin, a former Honeywell International senior executive, joins as group president. VerifyMe had previously provided logistics for temperature-sensitive products and brand-protection services, a business the combined company will continue to operate under the OpenWorld name. Former VerifyMe chief executive Adam Stedham described the merger as the clearest path to creating shareholder value, saying OpenWorld’s tokenization capabilities offer a larger opportunity than VerifyMe could have pursued independently.
The tokenization strategy
OpenWorld is building infrastructure to bring real-world assets on-chain, converting the cash flows of operating businesses and physical assets into investable financial products. “Tokenizing the cash flows of some of the world’s most dynamic businesses has the potential to dramatically shift how companies finance their operations and how investors access yield,” Shaw said. Through its OpenWorld Enterprise unit, the company combines financial structuring with blockchain infrastructure to develop, issue and distribute tokenized real-world assets for institutional investors. It also intends to pursue a dual listing on Figure OPEN, a blockchain-based trading platform expected to go live by November 2026.
A public-market push for tokenization
The listing extends a broader effort to bring real-world asset tokenization into public markets as banks and fund managers seek tokenized exposure to operating assets. Institutional work pairing custody with tokenization has advanced alongside the trend. Founded in 2023, OpenWorld says it has advised on projects representing more than $66 billion in aggregate network value and supported more than 20 companies backed by firms including a16z, Multicoin Capital, Dragonfly and Founders Fund. The dual listing on Figure OPEN and any tokenization of its equity remain forward-looking plans subject to regulatory and execution risk.
