Investment giant Cantor Fitzgerald and cryptocurrency-focused broker-dealer Securitize have announced a strategic partnership to revolutionize initial public offerings through blockchain technology. According to reports from the companies, this collaboration creates a pathway for public companies to raise capital onchain and issue tokenized securities, marking a significant step in mainstream capital markets adoption. Ben Boehmke, Head of Strategies for Equities at Cantor, revealed that the firm chose to partner with Securitize in part because of its compliance-first approach, stating that he anticipates more crypto-native founders will be willing to issue shares on the blockchain as they go public. The partnership is particularly significant since only a small handful of companies—including Galaxy, Figure, and Securitize itself—have sought to issue shares natively on the blockchain, making this collaboration a notable development in the nascent tokenized share market. Boehmke noted that Cantor is a natural fit for such offerings given its deep experience in crypto, reflected in the firm serving as a custodian for the reserves of Tether, the world's biggest stablecoin company, and operating funds that offer Bitcoin and tokenized gold.
Under the agreement announced on July 15, Cantor will leverage its equity capital markets and trading capabilities, while Securitize will provide the tokenization infrastructure used to issue, distribute, and service tokenized securities. As reported by the companies, this partnership enables public companies to raise capital and issue securities onchain with improved operational efficiency and modernized ownership records, while still operating within established capital markets frameworks. Boehmke noted that Cantor is a natural fit for such offerings given its deep experience in crypto, reflected in the firm serving as a custodian for the reserves of Tether, the world's biggest stablecoin company, and operating funds that offer Bitcoin and tokenized gold. The approach provides enhanced transparency, improved operational efficiency, modernized ownership records, and access to a global blockchain-based investor base. Billy Miller, COO of Securitize, emphasized that the firm's blockchain-native model will grow in popularity because it offers both companies and investors a safer and more reliable way to manage blockchain-based stocks compared to wrapped tokens held in special purpose vehicles. Carlos Domingo, Co-Founder and CEO of Securitize, stated that "public companies shouldn't have to choose" between traditional capital markets and blockchain infrastructure, with the partnership bringing capabilities required to support capital formation onchain within existing regulatory frameworks.
The partnership addresses a growing market need for blockchain-native tokenization models. While the wrapper model used by companies like Robinhood and Kraken has dominated tokenized share trading in markets like Brazil and South Africa, Securitize offers a more technology-intensive blockchain-native model where companies participate directly in the process and have direct control over tokenized shares. Boehmke anticipates a thriving market where clients and issuers may be interested in doing 5% to 10% of their offering in tokenized form, particularly noting that digitally native hedge funds could offer tokenized sleeves of IPOs. The tokenization model used by Securitize and rival SuperState differs from the wrapper model, which typically involves purchasing blocks of stock and issuing synthetic tokens without company involvement. Miller pointed out that executives at firms like Apple are becoming aware that synthetic versions of their stock are being traded with little oversight, which is resulting in them becoming aware of tokenization and may likely seek to embrace a regulated, blockchain-native alternative. The wrapper model is controversial since it typically entails issuing blockchain versions of popular stocks like Tesla or Apple without the involvement of the companies.
Pascal Bandelier, Co-CEO and Global Head of Equities at Cantor, noted that tokenization is becoming part of mainstream capital markets, allowing the firm to bring traditional equity market rigor to onchain settlement and distribution. The partnership is particularly significant since Cantor was ranked number one in U.S. IPOs in 2025, according to Bloomberg's 2025 equity IPO league table. Securitize operates through several regulated affiliates in the U.S., including an SEC-registered broker-dealer and transfer agent, and reports managing over $5 billion in assets under management as of July 2026. Boehmke added that Cantor's coming efforts on the tokenized stock front won't be limited to IPOs, but that the firm also plans to facilitate other forms of blockchain native stock offerings, including follow-on offerings. The partnership now aims to apply that technology directly to capital raising rather than limiting it to funds or secondary-market trading, with the companies having not yet announced the first issuer that will use the platform.
The partnership comes as Securitize has completed its business combination with Cantor Equity Partners II, Inc., marking its public listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SECZ on July 2. This transaction is significant as it involves a tokenization platform that reports over $4 billion in assets, with the merger expected to raise approximately $400 million in gross proceeds, excluding transaction-related expenses. Additionally, Securitize has positioned itself as a pioneer by simultaneously issuing tokenized versions of its own common shares on Solana and Avalanche for eligible U.S. investors, serving as a model for other public companies. The tokenized shares represent the same underlying SECZ common stock rather than a synthetic instrument or separate share class. Rosenblatt has initiated coverage on Securitize with a buy rating and a price target of $14.00, while Benchmark has reiterated a Buy rating on Cantor Equity Partners II with a price target of $16.00. The move is likely to provide a boost for those pushing for companies to issue some of their stock on blockchain, with there being a movement afoot to redesign the U.S. equities market by issuing shares in the form of digital tokens that can be traded around the clock, where trades are cleared and settled instantly.
