Crypto Critic Nouriel Roubini Backs a Tokenized Nasdaq Fund Called the Technodollar
Longtime crypto skeptic Nouriel Roubini is backing USAFi, a tokenized version of his Nasdaq-listed Atlas America Fund, built with Securitize for a Q3 launch under Dubai's VARA.
Crypto Critic Nouriel Roubini Backs a Tokenized Nasdaq Fund Called the Technodollar Longtime crypto skeptic Nouriel Roubini is backing USAFi, a tokenized version of his Nasdaq-listed Atlas America Fund, built with Securitize for a Q3 launch under Dubai's VARA. Aaron Rafferty June 26, 2026 Key Takeaways: Nouriel Roubini, the economist who spent years calling crypto worthless, co-authored a whitepaper for USAFi, a tokenized investment product, his firm announced June 23 . USAFi is a blockchain version of the Atlas America Fund, a Nasdaq-listed ETF Roubini oversees, built with Securitize for a third-quarter launch under Dubai's VARA framework. The token is pitched as a "Technodollar," a reserve asset backed by US Treasuries, real estate, gold, and commodities rather than a single currency. Nouriel Roubini, the economist known as Dr. Doom for predicting the 2008 crash and for years dismissing cryptocurrencies as worthless, is making his first move into blockchain finance. On June 23, Atlas Capital Team announced a whitepaper Roubini co-authored for USAFi, a tokenized version of a Nasdaq-listed fund he oversees. USAFi puts the Atlas America Fund onto blockchain rails, letting investors hold a regulated security that can settle around the clock. The tokenization platform Securitize, which also builds BlackRock's onchain fund infrastructure, is providing the plumbing. Atlas plans to launch in the third quarter under Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. The reversal is the story. Roubini built a reputation tearing into digital assets as speculation with nothing behind them. The distinction now, he says, is the collateral, because the fund holds US Treasuries, real estate, gold, and agricultural commodities rather than a free-floating token. "We are livin