• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Some Fortune Crypto pricing data is provided by Binance.
CompaniesJPMorgan Chase

Exclusive: Former JPMorgan digital asset chief raises $3 million to transform real estate with blockchain technology 

By
Catherine McGrath
Catherine McGrath
Crypto Fellow
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Catherine McGrath
Catherine McGrath
Crypto Fellow
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 11, 2025, 9:00 AM ET
Arda raised $3 million in pre-seed funding to digitize real estate.
Arda raised $3 million in pre-seed funding to digitize real estate. Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Oli Harris, the former head of digital assets strategy at JPMorgan Chase, helped the banking giant become among the first legacy finance institutions to integrate blockchain technology into its operations. 

Recommended Video

Now, with over 10 years of experience working for companies including Goldman Sachs and blockchain infrastructure company Blockdaemon, Harris is launching his own crypto startup called Arda that aims to bring real estate onto a blockchain. 

The new company has received $3 million in pre-seed funding from Lightshift Capital. 

“I like the space where both incumbents and new entrants, if they can talk the right language and they can work together, they can radically reimagine industries,” Harris told Fortune. “That’s what I want to do with Arda in the real estate space.” 

Harris says his team is developing a platform that will help digitize the entire real estate economy, and store that data using blockchain technology. He says Arda will make renting and purchasing real estate easier and more efficient—especially in places experiencing cost-of-living crises—by serving as the central “operating system” for property ownership.

While Harris says Arda will not directly solve real estate pain points like mortgages, escrow, and property inspections, his company will serve as the foundation—aggregating data and building the blockchain infrastructure—to help other companies execute transactions. 

“We’re generating a continuously evolving history that travels with the property or the asset—so like a CARFAX or a credit score,” said Harris, referring to the background that used car buyers can get before making a purchase and personal credit ratings that factor into whether individuals can get loans. “Buyers, sellers and financiers, they gain instant access to a verifiable, immutable record… that reduces the time around due diligence and operational risk.”

Harris says that when Arda introduces its product, it will make money by charging a flat-rate to view real estate data. The company will also charge a transaction fee to update data about a specific property and to process transactions. 

Arda is not the first company to try to tokenize real estate. Atlant, Etherland, and Propy are just a few companies that have promised to transform property management by integrating blockchain technology.

Harris says Arda will use the money raised in this round to develop a product prototype, hire more engineers, and partner with real estate developers and other companies in the space.

“We want to create the infrastructure that allows real estate to think, respond and trade at the speed of the internet,” Harris said. 

About the Author
By Catherine McGrathCrypto Fellow
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Catherine McGrath is a crypto fellow at Fortune.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Companies

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Companies

Exclusive: Crypto venture firm CMT Digital raises $136 million for fourth fund
CompaniesVenture Capital
Exclusive: Crypto venture firm CMT Digital raises $136 million for fourth fund
By Ben WeissNovember 5, 2025
8 months ago
A Ferrari race car on a racetrack
CompaniesCryptocurrency
Ferrari to release crypto token to let wealthy fans take part in 499P auction
By Carlos GarciaNovember 3, 2025
8 months ago
Michael Saylor on stage at a Bitcoin conference.
CompaniesBitcoin
Michael Saylor boosts yield, says Strategy is at an ‘inflection point’
By David Pan, Judy Lagrou and BloombergOctober 30, 2025
8 months ago
Crypto founders are getting very rich, very fast—again
CompaniesCryptocurrency
Crypto founders are getting very rich, very fast—again
By Jeff John RobertsOctober 30, 2025
8 months ago
A Mastercard credit card peeking out from a pocket.
CompaniesMastercard
Exclusive: Mastercard poised to acquire crypto startup Zerohash for nearly $2 billion, sources say
By Ben Weiss and Leo SchwartzOctober 29, 2025
8 months ago
Three men stand in front a white backdrop.
CompaniesCryptocurrency
Exclusive: Startup Hercle raises $10 million to build out stablecoin-based global money transfers
By Carlos GarciaOctober 29, 2025
8 months ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
24 hours ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
18 hours ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
Economy
Farm groups saved Bayer in court over RoundUp cancer claims. Five days later, Bayer called for tariffs on the ingredient farmers rely on
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
20 hours ago
Self-made multimillionaire says Canadians 'give no money away' compared with Americans—research shows U.S. giving is more than twice as high
Success
Self-made multimillionaire says Canadians 'give no money away' compared with Americans—research shows U.S. giving is more than twice as high
By Preston ForeJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our and Privacy Policy |  | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.