Crypto · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
S&P Global Agrees to Acquire OpenZeppelin to Expand Digital Asset Risk Assessment
S&P Global to acquire OpenZeppelin to expand on-chain risk assessment capabilities. Deal aims to boost digital asset security and ecosystem development, terms undisclosed.
How the $37T figure is interpreted.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: s&P Global stock fell about 0.44% after the announcement.
16outlets compared
Same story, two versions
tap a side to read it in full
CoinDesk
“The $37 trillion figure is a measure of value transferred through contracts”Read the original ↗
Blockonomi
“smart contract libraries have supported more than $37 trillion in transferred value.”Read the original ↗
CoinDesk clarifies the metric, while others present it as supporting value transfer.
S&P buys OpenZeppelin
S&P Global agreed to acquire OpenZeppelin, a smart-contract security company, to expand its digital asset risk assessment and onchain technology capabilities as capital markets transition onchain.
“S&P Global Inc. (SPGI) Stock: Drops as OpenZeppelin Acquisition Expands Onchain Security Push”
S&P Global’s stock fell 0.44% to $404.95 after the company announced its planned OpenZeppelin acquisition, and the deal was described as subject to customary closing conditions with financial terms not disclosed.
OpenZeppelin, founded in 2015, provides security assessments, development services, and widely used open-source tools for blockchain applications, and its smart contract libraries have supported more than $37 trillion in transferred value.
The acquisition is structured so OpenZeppelin will continue operating as a separate business unit under its existing name, with CEO Demian Brener remaining responsible for operations and reporting to S&P Global Ratings President Yann Le Pallec.
Trusted data, benchmarks
S&P Global Ratings President Yann Le Pallec said the acquisition supports its digital assets strategy, quoting: "Our digital assets strategy centers on bringing trusted data, benchmarks and transparent risk assessment to markets as they move onchain."
OpenZeppelin CEO Demian Brener said the company’s standards and expertise already power infrastructure behind stablecoins and tokenized funds, adding: "OpenZeppelin's standards, technology, and expertise already power the infrastructure behind the world's leading stablecoins, tokenized funds, DeFi protocols, and onchain markets."
The deal announcement ties OpenZeppelin’s role to onchain code security, with the transaction described as expanding S&P Global’s risk assessment capabilities into the onchain technology-risk layer.
OpenZeppelin’s technology is described as underpinning over $37 trillion in value transferred and backed by 900+ security engagements, with the company stating those engagements surfaced 10,000+ vulnerabilities before production.
Advisers and next steps
S&P Global said the transaction remains subject to closing conditions and is not expected to have a material impact on its financial results, while financial terms were not disclosed.
“Jefferies LLC is serving as financial advisor to S&P Global; Clifford Chance is acting as S&P Global's legal advisor.”
Jefferies is serving as financial advisor to S&P Global and Clifford Chance is acting as S&P Global’s legal advisor, with FT Partners serving as exclusive financial and strategic advisor to OpenZeppelin and Cooley acting as OpenZeppelin’s legal advisor.
The acquisition is also framed as complementing S&P Global’s risk assessment and ecosystem development capabilities in digital asset markets, with the goal of creating “the next generation of onchain security assessments, benchmarks, and deliver essential intelligence.”
In parallel, the deal was described as building on S&P Global’s earlier market-data push, including a strategic investment in Kaiko that extended Kaiko’s Series B funding to $110 million as S&P Global expanded data infrastructure for tokenized financial markets.