Securitize tokenizes $295 million of its own stock on Solana and Avalanche amid NYSE debut

Securitize (SECZ), a tokenization specialist backed by BlackRock and ARK Invest, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, and simultaneously brought its own shares to blockchain investors.

The company said its common stock, trading under the ticker SECZ, is now available in token form on Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) via its regulated platform. The blockchain-based shares represent the same common stock trading on the NYSE rather than a separate class of securities, the firm said.

Securitize also claimed bragging rights as the first newly public company to tokenize its own stock on its first day of trading. Investors held some $295 million in tokenized shares, according to blockchain data from RWA.xyz.

SECZ was 10% up in the Thursday session, its first day following the SPAC merger with publicly-traded Cantor Equity Partners II.

The launch is the latest milestone in the fast-growing tokenization sector, where banks and asset managers are increasingly using blockchain rails to issue traditional financial assets such as funds, bonds and equities. Supporters argue that tokenization can shorten settlement times, enable around-the-clock transfers and make securities interoperable with blockchain-based financial applications.

The opportunity has drawn growing interest across Wall Street. Citi projected that tokenized securities could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030, while Boston Consulting Group and Ripple estimated the market could grow to $18.9 trillion by 2033.

"We have long said that public equities are moving onchain, and there is no stronger validation of that belief than tokenizing our own public stock on day one," CEO Carlos Domingo said in a statement.

Issuer-sponsored tokenization

Unlike many existing tokenized stock products, which are issued by third parties or offered outside the United States, Securitize said SECZ is an issuer-sponsored tokenization of the company's own shares. Eligible U.S. investors can buy the tokenized stock through Securitize's platform after completing identity verification and meeting securities law requirements.

The launch doubles as a showcase for Securitize's business.

The company, founded in 2017, has spent years building tokenization infrastructure for firms including BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, Hamilton Lane and VanEck, providing issuance, transfer agency and fund administration services for blockchain-based securities.

Earlier this year, NYSE parent company Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) partnered with Securitize to develop infrastructure for tokenized equities. It also teamed up with Computershare and Continental, two of the world's largest transfer agents, to help public firms issue their shares in token form on blockchain rails.