‘Dr. Doom’ Nouriel Roubini Launches Tokenized USAFi Fund in RWA Push

Nouriel Roubini, dubbed “Dr. Doom” for predicting the 2008 financial crisis, has long criticized cryptocurrencies but now sees value in using blockchain to host traditional assets. USAFi will tokenize the Nasdaq-listed Atlas America Fund (USAF) ETF, which he oversees, making the project an important bellwether for the real-world asset market.

Atlas Capital Team published the USAFi white paper on June 24, 2026, with a launch planned for the third quarter. Securitize will provide the tokenization infrastructure, while the issuer will seek approval under Dubai VARA’s rules for asset-referenced virtual assets and primarily target investors outside the United States. USAF, its underlying asset, had about $17.67 million in assets under management as of July 13.