Plume Network has received approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to become a registered transfer agent. As a registered transfer agent, Plume will now manage digital securities and shareholder records directly on-chain, supporting interoperability with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) settlement network. This will also facilitate a range of use cases, including on-chain IPOs, small-cap financings, and registered funds. Most notably, the technology aims to reduce tokenization timelines from months to weeks through smart contract automation. Plume's registration provides much-needed regulatory infrastructure for institutions such as BlackRock, Fidelity, and Apollo seeking compliant on-chain asset transfers. With Plume's regulated transfer agent now operational, Plume plans to launch its first product, the Nest protocol vault, in Q1 2026. Nest is one of the key protocols within the Plume Network focused on staking mechanisms for real-world assets (RWAs). Nest allows fund managers to create vaults backed by regulated financial instruments. Users can deposit stablecoins into these vaults, earning yield on the underlying real-world assets in a permissionless manner. Plume said it has received interest from SEC-registered investment funds (40 Act Funds). Plume is also seeking additional licenses, including alternative trading system (ATS) and broker-dealer registrations, to develop a fully compliant on-chain capital markets infrastructure for 40 Act Funds. (CoinDesk)