Securitize Brings $295M of Its Stock On-Chain via Solana and Avalanche as SECZ Debuts on NYSE

Securitize (SECZ), a tokenization firm backed by BlackRock and ARK Invest, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday and, at the same time, made its own shares available to blockchain investors. The company said its common stock—listed on the NYSE under ticker SECZ—can now be accessed in tokenized form on Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) through its regulated platform. Securitize emphasized that the on-chain tokens represent the same common stock trading on the NYSE, not a separate class of securities. Securitize also positioned the move as a first: a newly public company tokenizing its own shares on its first day of trading. Blockchain data from RWA.xyz shows investors held about $295 million in tokenized shares. SECZ shares were up 10% in Thursday's session, the first day following the company's SPAC merger with publicly traded Cantor Equity Partners II. The rollout marks another step for the rapidly expanding tokenization market, as banks and asset managers increasingly use blockchain infrastructure to issue traditional assets such as funds, bonds and equities. Proponents say tokenization can speed settlement, enable 24/7 transfers and make securities compatible with blockchain-based financial applications. Wall Street forecasts point to a large potential market. Citi has estimated tokenized securities could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030. Boston Consulting Group and Ripple have projected growth to $18.9 trillion by 2033. "We have long said that public equities are moving onchain, and there is no stronger validation of that belief than tokenizing our own public stock on day one," CEO Carlos Domingo said. Securitize said SECZ differs from many tokenized stock offerings that are issued by third parties or made available outside the U.S., describing it as an issuer-sponsored tokenization of its own shares. Eligible U.S. investors can purchase the tokenized stock via Securitize's platform after completing identity verification and meeting securities-law requirements. The launch also serves as a proof point for Securitize's core business. Founded in 2017, the company has built tokenization infrastructure for clients including BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, Hamilton Lane and VanEck, offering issuance, transfer agency and fund-administration services for blockchain-based securities. Earlier this year, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the NYSE, partnered with Securitize to develop infrastructure for tokenized equities. Securitize has also worked with Computershare and Continental—two of the world's largest transfer agents—to help public companies issue shares in token form on blockchain rails. By putting its own stock on-chain from day one, Securitize is seeking to bolster the case for company-issued tokenized equities rather than third-party wrapped products. Domingo told CoinDesk: "We just wanted to lead by example and show people that if you want to issue real shares onchain, not fake shares, not copy cats, whatever you want to call it, then you can do it."