The opportunity has drawn increasing interest across Wall Street. Citi predicted that tokenized securities could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030, while Boston Consulting Group and Ripple estimated that the market could grow to $18.9 trillion by 2033.
“We have long said that public stocks move on the chain, and there is no stronger validation of that belief than to tokenize our own public stock on day one,” CEO Carlos Domingo said in a statement.
Issuer-sponsored tokenization
Unlike many existing tokenized equity products, which are issued by third parties or offered outside the US, Securitize said SECZ is an issuer-sponsored tokenization of the company’s own shares. Qualified US investors may purchase the tokenized share through Securitize’s platform after completing identity verification and complying with securities law requirements.
The launch also serves as a showcase for Securitize’s business.
Founded in 2017, the company has spent years building tokenization infrastructure for firms including BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, Hamilton Lane, and VanEck, and has provided issuance, transfer agency, and fund management services for blockchain-based securities.
Earlier this year, NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) partnered with Securitize to develop infrastructure for tokenized stocks. It also partnered with Computershare and Continental, two of the world’s largest transfer agents, to help public companies issue their shares in token form on blockchain rails.
