A recently formed partnership is bringing blockchain technology to the non-prime auto finance industry, with dealerships being among the intended beneficiaries.

Agora Data and Figure Technology Solutions are collaborating to launch what they claim is the first blockchain-enabled platform, bringing U.S. auto loans to modern capital markets as tokenized real-world assets (RWAs).

Seven key highlights of the strategic partnership include:

—First blockchain‑based RWA auto loans: Agora Data becomes the first company to place U.S. auto loans on blockchain as tokenized real‑world assets.

—Preferred review partner: Agora Data serves as the preferred third‑party review partner for auto loan assets on the Figure platform, leveraging its proprietary AI‑powered financing and underwriting technology.

—Figure equity investment: Figure is making a strategic equity investment in Agora, further strengthening the partnership.

—Built on the Figure platform: Agora Data’s blockchain‑based auto platform, ALTRUVO, operates directly on Figure’s blockchain infrastructure, marketplace, and investor network.

—Expanded investor access: Decentralized finance investors can participate in auto loan‑backed assets through the Figure application.

—Improved capital markets efficiency: Blockchain‑enabled distribution enhances transparency, scalability, and funding efficiency within a highly secure platform.

—Bridging traditional and decentralized finance: The partnership accelerates the convergence of fintech, structured finance, and modern capital markets.

The platform is expected to begin onboarding assets this month, according to news releases from each company.

“Auto loans represent one of the largest and most established consumer credit markets in the United States,” Agora Data CEO Steve Burke said. “By partnering with Figure, we are accelerating our growth and providing more capital to car dealerships while expanding access to auto loans through blockchain-based capital markets as an asset class on-chain for the first time.

“This collaboration adds to a growing list of firsts for Agor, enhancing liquidity, broadening investor participation, and accelerating real world innovation,” Burke continued.

The companies highlighted their partnership represents a meaningful step forward in the evolution of consumer finance, combining Agora’s AI‑driven auto credit modeling and underwriting expertise with Figure’s blockchain infrastructure, securitization capabilities, and digital asset marketplace.

Together, the companies aim to open broader access to an asset class that has historically been limited to banks and large institutional investors.

“We’re impressed with the Figure marketplace’s ability to provide competitive financing, but in a blockchain-native, standardized, and capital-efficient structure,” Burke said. “With this partnership, we’ll maintain control of origination, servicing, and underwriting, while Figure delivers scalable warehouse financing and accelerated velocity through capital markets execution enabling Agora to accelerate growth and provide more capital to car dealerships.”

Through the Figure platform, decentralized finance participants will be able to access, lend against, or acquire auto loans originated by Agora. This new distribution model is designed to improve liquidity, transparency, and efficiency across the $1.6 trillion U.S. auto finance market.

At the center of the partnership is ALTRUVO.

ALTRUVO is designed to strengthen the company’s diversified funding strategy by introducing a new, scalable capital source designed to meet increasing customer demand and better serve auto dealers and financial institutions.

Operating directly on the Figure platform, ALTRUVO can leverage Figure’s blockchain infrastructure, investor network, and marketplace technology to distribute Agora‑originated auto loans as tokenized real‑world assets.

The companies said this structure can help bridge traditional structured finance with decentralized capital markets while supporting long‑term growth across the auto finance ecosystem.

“Agora is a natural partner for Figure’s expansion into auto finance, given their deep auto industry expertise, AI-powered financing capabilities, and strong growth trajectory,” Figure CEO Michael Tannenbaum said.

“Together, we represent two market-leading platforms with a shared conviction that auto finance is fertile ground for the evolution of blockchain-based structured finance,” Tannenbaum went on to say.

Through the partnership, Figure expects to bring tens of millions of dollars in auto finance assets onto the Figure Connect Marketplace and into Democratized Prime, Figure’s decentralized lending marketplace in the coming months.

The moves are geared to expand distribution in a capital-light, scalable manner that leverages Figure’s blockchain-based capital market without building a new loan origination system.

“By pairing AI-driven origination with blockchain-native capital markets infrastructure, this partnership represents the future of auto finance, one that’s paved on-chain,” Tannenbaum said. “Our marketplace is becoming a true capital markets highway; capable of accepting assets from multiple on-ramps and delivering standardized, transparent liquidity at scale.

“As more assets flow on-chain, the marketplace becomes more powerful for originators and investors alike,” he added.