YZi Labs has made a strategic investment in Temple Digital Group, a blockchain-based trading infrastructure provider focused on institutional markets. Temple operates on the Canton Network, a permissioned blockchain framework developed in collaboration with Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, Broadridge, DRW, and other global financial institutions.
The move follows YZi Labs’ earlier backing of the Canton Network in July 2025 and reinforces the firm’s broader initiative to support compliant and interoperable blockchain systems designed for regulated financial markets.
Addressing Fragmentation in Digital Asset Markets
Tokenized markets remain fragmented, with many systems operating independently and offering limited interoperability. Institutional participants often face a trade-off between regulatory compliance and access to liquidity, as public blockchains fail to meet regulatory standards while private systems restrict connectivity.
Temple Digital Group seeks to bridge that divide by using Canton’s synchronized ledger technology. The firm aims to deliver shared market infrastructure connecting digital assets, tokenized instruments, and institutional networks within a single, interoperable framework.
Temple’s flagship trading platform, known as Temple, combines characteristics of traditional electronic trading systems—such as automated order routing, post-trade reporting, and counterparty privacy—with decentralized finance features like real-time settlement and tokenized asset management.
Expansion Plans and Leadership
Following the new funding round, Temple plans to expand its engineering and compliance teams and develop additional tools, including Asset Issuance and Management systems, Perpetual Futures, and Cross-Network Trade Routing on the Canton Network. The company is also researching interoperability solutions between Canton and other blockchain ecosystems to improve connectivity across institutional markets.
Temple’s leadership team includes Evan Varsamis, co-founder and chief executive officer, and Dan Simerman, co-founder and chief strategy officer. Varsamis is a New York–based entrepreneur known for scaling previous ventures, while Simerman brings experience from the IOTA Foundation and prior roles at Wells Fargo and Condé Nast.
Varsamis said the company aims to build tools that allow institutions to participate in digital asset markets through secure and regulated channels. “We see an opportunity to develop new financial primitives with institutions ready to engage in digital assets,” he said.
Alex Odagiu, investment partner at YZi Labs, said the investment in Temple aligns with the lab’s focus on practical blockchain adoption. “Temple’s approach to compliant execution fills a key gap in institutional trading infrastructure,” Odagiu said.
Institutional Blockchain Adoption
YZi Labs’ continued investment in Canton-linked projects highlights a growing effort among blockchain developers and financial firms to build frameworks that balance compliance with interoperability. The collaboration aims to establish infrastructures that support regulated digital asset trading globally while addressing long-standing challenges in market connectivity.
