• Securitize announces a collaboration with Computershare to enable US public companies to issue tokenized shares alongside traditional equity.
• The partnership introduces Issuer-Sponsored Tokens, giving investors on-chain ownership with voting rights.
• Computershare will remain the transfer agent for its clients, allowing issuers to adopt blockchain-based equity without overhauling existing systems.

Securitize is partnering with Computershare, a stock transfer agent serving a majority of S&P 500 companies, to enable US public companies to issue tokenized equity alongside traditional shares, according to a statement on Wednesday.

Securitize and Computershare introduce tokenized shares for clients

The partnership introduces Issuer-Sponsored Tokens (ISTs), which represent actual shares rather than synthetic instruments or wrapped products.

Companies can issue the tokens without changing their underlying capital structure. This allows tokenized shares to exist alongside shares held through traditional systems, including the Direct Registration System (DRS).

"We designed ISTs to operate within the existing regulatory environment, maintaining the independence and oversight that issuers and regulators expect from a transfer agent and allowing for effective interoperability with market infrastructure," said Ann Bowering, CEO, Issuer Services, Computershare North America.

Investors would be able to hold equity in either conventional or on-chain form through digital wallets, while maintaining the same ownership rights, including voting privileges and participation in corporate actions.

Computershare will remain the transfer agent for the tokenized shares, managing shareholder records and processing corporate actions across both traditional and tokenized holdings. Meanwhile, Securitize will provide the blockchain infrastructure supporting issuance and tokenization.

"This milestone highlights tokenization's role as an enhanced option for public markets, enabling issuers to bring equities onchain with seamless servicing," said Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize.

The companies said the model is designed to preserve the direct issuer-shareholder relationship while remaining aligned with existing US regulatory frameworks, reducing adoption barriers for companies considering onchain equity issuance.

The partnership is also aimed at expanding tokenization beyond early use cases centered on Treasuries and private credit into public equity markets.

Securitize has positioned itself as a key player in tokenized finance through products such as the BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund (BUIDL), USDtb and VanEck Treasury Fund (VBILL). The company previously announced that it is pursuing a public listing through a proposed business combination with Cantor Equity Partners II.