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Aria Secures $15M in Funding from Polychain, Neoclassic, Story Foundation and Other Strategic Partners to Bring Iconic IP Onchain as Liquid, Fungible Assets

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WILMINGTON, Del., Sept. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Aria Protocol Labs Inc. and Aria Foundation, which are bringing revenue-generating, real-world, iconic intellectual property (IP) onchain, today announced securing $15 million in combined seed and strategic funding.

The funding includes participation from Polychain Capital, Neoclassic, Story Foundation, and other key partners across crypto, IP, and entertainment, to accelerate ecosystem and protocol development.

This builds on Aria’s breakthrough launch of its first IP-backed token, $APL, representing royalties from songs performed by global superstars including Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, BLACKPINK, and BTS. These rights were acquired using $10.95 million raised in February 2025 through Stakestone’s LiquidityPad — marking one of the largest tokenizations of iconic music IP to date.

“Onchain IP isn’t just a creative frontier, it’s a financial one,” said David Kostiner, Co-Founder and Chief IP Officer of Aria Protocol Labs Inc. “By turning IP into liquid, fungible tokens with embedded licensing logic, Aria creates capital formation rails that protect creative integrity and reward participation. This $15 million funding enables us to continue building programmable IP infrastructure and scaling a new IP economy.”

As AI-generated media proliferates and digital distribution accelerates, demand for authentic, licensed content has never been higher. Aria bridges that gap by embedding attribution, licensing, and royalty distribution onchain. The capital will support team expansion, artist partnerships, and protocol development to enable programmable remix licensing, revenue splits, and community-aligned participation across music and art.

“The market is finally waking up to IP as a real-world asset class,” said S.Y. Lee, CEO of Story. “Aria is showing what’s possible when historically illiquid IP is brought onchain in a programmable, rights-respecting way. They are building the future of IP finance and creative capital.”

A slate of additional IP launches is planned to expand Aria’s reach across creative verticals, from music to art and film/TV.

About Aria

Aria Protocol Labs Inc. is building a new economy for iconic IP. Built on Story, Aria brings music, art, and film/TV rights onchain as fungible, liquid tokens unlocking access to real-world royalties in a scalable and transparent form. Founded by music industry veterans, Aria launched its first tokenized IP asset, $APL, in 2025, representing royalties from partial rights tied to songs performed by Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, BLACKPINK, and BTS.

Aria Foundation is a Cayman-based nonprofit entity dedicated to stewarding the long-term growth of the Aria Protocol ecosystem. The Foundation supports developer grants, community initiatives, liquidity programs, and ecosystem partnerships to ensure that IP holders, creators, and fans can thrive in an open, onchain IP economy.

Learn more at: https://ariaprotocol.xyz

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