Securitize-Cantor Tokenized IPO Framework Could Change How Public Companies Issue Stock

Securitize and Cantor Fitzgerald have agreed to build a regulated pathway for public companies to conduct initial public offerings and follow-on stock sales using blockchain-based infrastructure.

Key Takeaways

• Securitize and Cantor will support tokenized IPOs within existing U.S. securities rules.
• SEC data show 376 IPOs raised $70.28 billion in 2025, signaling a large addressable market.
• Securitize named no first issuer on July 15, leaving adoption as the partnership’s next test.

Public Offerings Move Onchain

The agreement extends tokenization beyond secondary-market trading by applying it to capital formation, where companies sell new shares to investors to raise money.

Cantor will contribute its equity capital markets, trading and distribution capabilities. Securitize will supply the technology used to issue, distribute and service tokenized securities.

Securitize Markets LLC, the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission-registered broker-dealer affiliate, will also participate in the offering and settlement process.

The companies said issuers would remain inside the established framework for traditional public offerings while gaining blockchain-based ownership records, greater transaction transparency and potentially more efficient servicing.

The arrangement does not remove securities laws, investor eligibility rules or the regulatory obligations attached to an IPO. Instead, it changes parts of the infrastructure used to record, distribute and settle ownership.

Why the Deal Matters

Public offerings remain a major funding channel for corporations. SEC data show 376 IPOs raised about $70.28 billion in 2025, while another 99 offerings raised $22.04 billion during the first quarter of 2026.

Against that backdrop, the Securitize-Cantor project could test whether tokenization can move from funds and secondary trading into the primary market without creating a separate legal structure for investors.

“Public companies shouldn’t have to choose between access to traditional capital markets and the benefits of blockchain technology that improve how securities are issued, distributed, owned, and serviced,” Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo said.

Domingo said the partnership is designed to support onchain capital formation within existing regulatory frameworks and move digital securities closer to becoming a standard component of capital markets.

Cantor Co-CEO Pascal Bandelier said the investment bank ranked No. 1 in U.S. IPOs in 2025 and is applying that experience to onchain settlement and distribution. The ranking was attributed to Bloomberg’s 2025 equity IPO league table.

Securitize Builds From Its Own Listing

The agreement follows Securitize’s July 2 debut on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker SECZ after completing a business combination with Cantor Equity Partners II.

Securitize also placed an issuer-sponsored version of its own common stock on Avalanche and Solana for eligible U.S. investors, positioning the launch as a model for other public companies. The tokenized shares represent the same underlying SECZ common stock rather than a synthetic instrument or separate share class.

Securitize reported more than $5 billion in tokenized assets under management as of July 2026. Its partners include BlackRock, Apollo, BNY, Hamilton Lane, KKR and Vaneck.

The next test will be execution. Neither company identified an issuer, offering date or fundraising target, leaving adoption dependent on corporate demand, regulatory compliance and investor participation.