Cantor and Securitize partner on blockchain IPOs as 4 Wall Street giants tokenize

Cantor Fitzgerald and Securitize are embedding blockchain technology into initial public offerings, letting companies issue tokenized securities through traditional capital markets frameworks.

Cantor Fitzgerald and Securitize are embedding blockchain technology into initial public offerings, letting companies issue tokenized securities through traditional capital markets frameworks, the firms said Wednesday, joining 4 Wall Street giants in a push by the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp.

"Tokenization is becoming part of mainstream capital markets, and partnering with Securitize allows us to bring the rigor of traditional equity capital markets to onchain settlement and distribution," said Pascal Bandelier, co-chief executive officer and global head of equities at Cantor.

Under the agreement, Cantor will provide equity capital markets and trading capabilities while Securitize contributes the tokenization infrastructure for issuing, distributing and servicing tokenized securities. The partnership advances an issuer-sponsored approach where the token represents the actual security — not a wrapper, special-purpose vehicle or synthetic exposure — making tokenization part of the issuance process rather than something layered on afterward, a Securitize spokesperson said. The move extends blockchain infrastructure directly into IPOs and follow-on offerings, rather than focusing on tokenized funds or secondary trading.

The collaboration shows growing convergence between traditional finance and crypto infrastructure. This week, the DTCC announced plans to tokenize stocks with partners including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. 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, said Carlos Domingo, co-founder and chief executive officer of Securitize.

The partnership comes as large traditional finance players take rapid steps toward tokenization of capital markets. The DTCC's initiative, announced earlier this week, moves tokenized securities into live trading — a milestone for Wall Street's blockchain push that has been years in development. Tokenization of real-world assets has emerged as one of the most concrete use cases for blockchain technology in finance, with firms from BlackRock to KKR experimenting with putting funds and private securities on distributed ledgers.

Securitize, which operates as a registered broker-dealer and transfer agent, has been at the center of institutional tokenization efforts. The firm previously partnered with BlackRock to tokenize a money market fund and has worked with KKR & Co. on tokenizing a private equity fund. Its stock rose after the Cantor partnership was announced, according to WSJ reporting.

For Cantor, the deal marks another step into digital assets. The investment bank has been expanding its crypto footprint, including a partnership with Tether Holdings Ltd. to manage the stablecoin issuer's bitcoin reserves and a role in the USDC stablecoin ecosystem. The firm's co-chief executive officer, Howard Lutnick, has been a vocal advocate for integrating digital assets into traditional finance.

"This partnership brings together the capabilities required to support capital formation onchain within existing regulatory frameworks," Domingo said. "It's another step toward a future where digital securities become a standard part of how capital markets operate."

The collaboration could accelerate institutional adoption of blockchain technology in capital markets by creating a clear, compliant pathway for public companies. If successful, it may push other investment banks and broker-dealers to develop similar tokenization capabilities, potentially reshaping how securities are issued, settled and serviced. For investors, the development means public companies may soon have a choice between traditional IPOs and onchain offerings that offer faster settlement, lower costs and more transparent ownership records.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.