Tokenization specialist Securitize has successfully completed its investment adviser registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, with Securitize Capital formally registering as a full investment adviser on July 22. According to the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database, this registration enhances the company's compliance framework and aligns with CFT (Countering the Financing of Terrorism) standards. The Miami-based subsidiary had previously operated as an exempt reporting adviser in Florida since March 2023, but this full registration removes previous constraints and brings additional disclosure, compliance, recordkeeping and examination duties under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. As reported by Securitize, co-founder and CEO Carlos Domingo stated that becoming a full SEC-registered investment adviser is an important step in the continued expansion of Securitize's platform, noting that asset managers and institutional investors want to work with partners that understand both the opportunity of tokenization and the obligations that come with operating in regulated markets.
The new registration positions Securitize to work more closely with asset managers and institutional investors as they explore onchain investment strategies. The company manages approximately $4.8 billion in tokenized assets across funds linked to BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, VanEck, Hamilton Lane, and other institutional asset managers. The Apollo relationship is particularly significant, with Securitize Capital listed as the contact on SEC filings tied to the Securitize Tokenized Apollo Diversified Credit Fund, indicating active work in tokenized credit strategies. According to Securitize, the company has established partnerships with leading asset managers including BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, and VanEck, and is responsible for issuing BlackRock's BUIDL tokenized money market fund. The firm also collaborates with the New York Stock Exchange to build tokenized securities trading infrastructure.
The expansion comes as regulators examine how existing securities rules apply to blockchain-based investment products. According to CoinDesk, vaults have become one of decentralized finance's fastest-growing products, with curated vaults now holding about $8.6 billion in assets according to Vaults.fyi data. As reported by PRNewswire, in a July 22 statement, SEC Commissioner Hester M. Peirce noted that managing certain crypto vaults and lending strategies may implicate investment-adviser issues, depending on their structure and activities. These products are increasingly being adopted beyond DeFi by platforms reaching broader investor bases, such as Coinbase and Robinhood, to offer yield on customer balances. The registration follows Peirce's warning that managing certain vaults and lending strategies may create investment adviser obligations, urging businesses operating within the securities market to engage with the regulator while developing compliant onchain products.
SECZ shares have fallen roughly 46% from their first-day closing price since beginning trading on the New York Stock Exchange on July 2 after completing a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II. The stock decline adds context to the regulatory milestone announcements, as the company now faces earnings obligations as a public company. Despite the price decline, Citi analyst Peter Christiansen separately initiated coverage with a Buy rating and $10 price target, representing about 34% upside from Friday's closing price of $7.47. Christiansen described Securitize as important infrastructure for real-world asset tokenization but identified several risks including the company's reliance on BlackRock's BUIDL fund, exposure to interest-rate changes and uncertainty over the development of higher-margin transaction revenue. The stock's performance reflects broader market repositioning since June, with the firm's share price having declined nearly 40% through July.
According to PRNewswire, Securitize is currently the only company, based on its existing U.S. and EU regulatory authorizations, licensed to operate regulated digital-securities infrastructure across both the U.S. and EU. In the U.S., the company operates through its affiliates including Securitize Markets, LLC, an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC that operates an SEC-regulated Alternative Trading System, Securitize Transfer Agent, LLC, an SEC-registered transfer agent, and Securitize Fund Services, LLC, which provides fund administration services. In Europe, Securitize operates through its affiliate Securitize Europe Brokerage and Markets, S.A., which is fully authorized as an Investment Firm and operates a Trading & Settlement System under the EU DLT Pilot Regime, with the company recognized as a 2026 Forbes Top 50 Fintech company. The expanded regulatory structure allows Securitize to work more closely with asset managers building onchain vaults, lending products and other portfolio strategies, with FINRA also approving Securitize Markets in May to custody tokenized securities and support atomic settlement.
