Securitize and Cantor Fitzgerald have announced a partnership to develop blockchain-based infrastructure for initial public offerings and follow-on equity issuances, extending the tokenization wave into the heart of public capital markets.
What the Framework Covers
The two firms said on Wednesday they are building a structure for primary issuances that allows companies to raise capital through tokenized securities while operating inside the existing US regulatory framework for public offerings. The arrangement covers both IPOs and secondary, or follow-on, offerings in which already-listed companies issue new shares to raise additional capital.
Under the terms, Securitize will supply the tokenization infrastructure for issuing, distributing, and servicing the digital securities. Its SEC-registered broker-dealer unit, Securitize Markets, will participate directly in the offering and settlement workflow. Cantor Fitzgerald brings its equity capital markets expertise and trading capabilities that are standard components of conventional public offerings.
An Existing Relationship Deepens
The partnership builds on prior ties between the companies. Securitize, which provides blockchain infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets, went public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company backed by Cantor Fitzgerald. Wednesday’s announcement extends that relationship into a new product category targeting primary equity issuances for publicly listed companies.
Tokenized Stocks Attract Wall Street Interest
The move arrives as the market for tokenized equities accelerates sharply. According to RWA.xyz, the total value of tokenized stocks held onchain has risen 16% over the past 30 days to nearly $1.9 billion.
Larger institutions are piling in alongside the Securitize-Cantor effort. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation plans to pilot stock and US Treasury tokenization with nearly 40 financial firms, including JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs. That trial follows the DTCC’s May announcement that it aims to launch tokenized trading services by October.
Assets lined up for that DTCC pilot include shares of Microsoft, stablecoin issuer Circle, and exchange-traded funds tracking the S&P 500, the Nasdaq 100, and short-term US Treasury bonds.
Tokenization Shifts From Private to Public Markets
Until recently, tokenization activity has been concentrated in private credit and government bonds. The Securitize-Cantor framework represents a deliberate push into public equities, a market segment that operates under stricter regulatory scrutiny and requires coordination with established broker-dealer networks. The inclusion of Securitize Markets as the registered broker-dealer is a key structural element that keeps the offering within the bounds of current US securities law.
For now, the framework is a plan rather than a live product. The companies have not announced a first tokenized IPO, named an issuer, or given a timeline, and public equity issuance faces heavier regulatory demands than the private credit and Treasury tokenization that has led the sector so far.
