Securitize Teams Up With Computershare to Bring Tokenized U.S. Equities Onchain

Securitize, a tokenization platform backed by BlackRock, said on April 29 that it has partnered with global transfer agent Computershare to let U.S.-listed companies issue onchain tokenized equity alongside their existing share infrastructure. Under the arrangement, investors could choose to hold shares through traditional brokerage accounts or directly in digital wallets as onchain equity assets. Computershare will remain the transfer agent, maintaining shareholder records and handling dividends and corporate actions such as stock splits. The companies said the design is intended to avoid the "wrapped shares" approach common in crypto markets. Instead of issuing tokens that merely reference offchain shares, the IssuerSponsored Tokens (ISTs) are structured to represent direct equity ownership. Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo said ISTs are not derivatives layered on existing stock, but a way for U.S. issuers to create equity natively in token form. Computershare currently serves more than 25,000 companies and acts as transfer agent for about 58% of S&P 500 firms. Market participants see the partnership as another step toward blockchain infrastructure integrating into core U.S. securities back-office systems, potentially accelerating onchain settlement, equity registration, and transfers for U.S. stocks.