Securitize, a leading tokenization platform, today announced a partnership with Computershare to support the issuance of tokenized equity securities for U.S.-listed companies, marking a step toward integrating blockchain-based representations of shares into traditional capital markets infrastructure.
According to the official announcement, the arrangement is designed to allow issuers to offer equity in tokenized form while remaining within existing regulatory and transfer agent frameworks. Computershare will handle transfer agent functions for these tokenized instruments.
Issuer-Sponsored Tokens introduced as parallel share format
At the center of the initiative are Issuer-Sponsored Tokens (ISTs), which allow companies to issue tokenized versions of their equity alongside conventional shares, including those recorded in the Direct Registration System (DRS).
Under this model, ISTs are intended to represent the same underlying equity rather than function as derivative products. Shareholders can choose whether to hold securities in traditional or tokenized form, depending on preference.
Transfer agent role anchored with Computershare
Computershare will serve as the transfer agent for ISTs issued by participating companies, managing administrative functions such as recordkeeping and corporate actions. These processes will run alongside existing services for directly registered shares.
The companies said the structure is intended to preserve issuer control over capital structure while enabling blockchain-based settlement and record representation where applicable.
Regulatory-aligned pathway
Securitize described the approach as a way for listed firms to access tokenization without altering the legal structure of equity ownership.
The company stated that ISTs are designed to operate within existing securities frameworks, avoiding reliance on layered or synthetic representations of shares. It added that the integration with Computershare is intended to combine tokenization infrastructure with established issuer services.
Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize, shared his insights on the development, stating, “ISTs do not rely on derivative tokens that sit on top of underlying shares, nor do they alter any underlying equity. Our work with Computershare connects the technology needed to support tokenization of assets to their deep issuer services expertise, providing U.S. issuers with the ability to create direct equity ownership in token form.”
Market structure and shareholder access
The model also allows shareholders to consolidate holdings in digital wallets while maintaining interaction with issuers for corporate actions and communications.
Interoperability with traditional market systems is expected to evolve as infrastructure develops, though the companies did not specify timelines for broader adoption.
What it means
The partnership reflects ongoing efforts to connect blockchain-based settlement models with established equity market infrastructure, particularly through regulated intermediaries such as transfer agents.
Computershare, a global provider of shareholder and governance services, will continue to oversee issuer-side administration for participating companies as part of the rollout.
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