London — December 3, 2024 — Uranium.io, a decentralized application (dApp) powered by the Tezos blockchain, has launched to provide retail investors access to physical uranium for the first time. The platform eliminates traditional barriers to uranium trading, such as high entry costs, by tokenizing the commodity and offering ownership via blockchain.
Developed with support from Curzon Uranium and Archax, Uranium.io enables users to purchase physical uranium, commonly referred to as “yellowcake” or U3O8, through an intuitive platform. This material is a key intermediate in nuclear fuel production, which has seen surging demand due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its energy-intensive infrastructure.
Uranium Demand Driven by AI and Net-Zero Goals
Governments worldwide are accelerating nuclear energy adoption as they pursue net-zero emissions targets. Simultaneously, technology giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are investing in nuclear power to meet the energy demands of AI data centers.
Historically, uranium trading has been limited to institutional investors due to over-the-counter (OTC) market structures requiring minimum lot sizes of 50,000 pounds, valued at approximately $4.2 million. Retail investors previously accessed uranium indirectly through exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The launch of Uranium.io addresses these barriers by using blockchain technology to fractionalize ownership of uranium, allowing smaller-scale purchases.
Blockchain Technology Enables Transparency and Security
Built on Etherlink, an EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain powered by Tezos Smart Rollups, Uranium.io integrates decentralized features such as smart contracts for automated trade settlements and reduced counterparty risk. Physical uranium purchased through the platform is stored at Cameco, a regulated depository and one of the largest global uranium providers.
Arthur Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, highlighted the innovation: “Real-world assets on-chain reduce friction and enable new economic arrangements. Uranium.io exemplifies this, transforming a market previously restricted by high barriers into something accessible and composable.”
Growth of Real-World Asset Tokenization
The tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is emerging as a growth area within blockchain technology. Analysis by VanEck shows the market capitalization of institutional tokenized assets grew to $300 million from near zero in 2023. Uranium.io is among the first platforms to bring tokenization to the uranium market, following moves by major asset managers like BlackRock to adopt blockchain solutions.
Uranium.io’s onboarding process includes Know Your Customer (KYC) verification, ensuring compliance and security. Users can purchase uranium by connecting a digital wallet to the platform, with transactions recorded on the blockchain for transparency.