Securitize and Computershare Partner to Tokenize U.S. Equity Markets

Securitize, a BlackRock-backed blockchain firm, has partnered with Computershare to integrate digital asset infrastructure into the core of the U.S. equity market. The agreement enables public companies to offer tokenized versions of their shares, known as Issuer-Sponsored Tokens (ISTs), which can exist alongside traditional shares, giving investors the choice between traditional brokerage systems and digital wallets. This move targets the $70 trillion U.S. stock market by leveraging Computershare's extensive institutional reach. As a transfer agent for approximately 58% of the S&P 500 and over 25,000 companies, Computershare provides the necessary regulatory and record-keeping bridge to ensure tokenized assets remain compliant with existing market rules while improving settlement speeds. Technically, the partnership avoids the common industry practice of using derivative tokens that merely represent a claim on a share. Instead, ISTs represent direct equity ownership. Computershare will continue to act as the transfer agent, managing shareholder records and processing corporate actions—such as dividends and stock splits—uniformly across both traditional and tokenized formats. For issuers, the structure is designed to maintain strict control over the shareholder base, a critical requirement for public companies. By moving the blockchain component to the background, the partnership aims to modernize Wall Street's plumbing without disrupting the governance and legal frameworks of the current financial system.