Janus Henderson Backs Ethena with Strategic Investment

Ethena has secured the backing of asset manager Janus Henderson in a strategic investment deal that marks another significant step for decentralized finance (DeFi) infrastructure. The partnership sees Janus Henderson, with $480 billion in assets under management, invest in Ethena's governance token ENA and use USDe as part of its treasury cash management strategy.

The firms are also exploring ways to offer USDe to Janus Henderson clients through exchange-traded investment products. This deal follows a trend of traditional asset managers embracing DeFi infrastructure, including BlackRock's Uniswap and Apollo's Morpho investments.

Ethena has grown into one of the largest DeFi protocols by offering yield through its USDe token, which combines stablecoin demand with derivatives-based hedging strategies. The protocol currently manages about $5 billion in assets.