Securitize Becomes First U.S. Broker-Dealer Cleared by FINRA to Add Custody for Tokenized Securities
Securitize has become the first U.S. broker-dealer authorized by FINRA to support the full lifecycle of tokenized securities, following approval tied to atomic settlement, CoinDesk reported. The decision was finalized on May 4.
The approval came through FINRA's "Continuing Membership Application" process, allowing Securitize Markets—the firm's broker-dealer unit—to enter business lines previously limited by regulatory constraints. The most notable expansion is the ability to provide custody for tokenized securities, a function typically separated from trading and often a source of operational friction.
With custody, issuance, and trading available under a single licensing framework, the firm can now cover the end-to-end flow of digital securities in the U.S. market.
A central implication is the move toward "atomic settlement," designed to deliver near-instant transaction finality onchain. Under this structure, tokenized shares can be exchanged simultaneously for digital dollars in one transaction, reducing settlement delays and counterparty exposure common in traditional clearing models built around T+1 or T+2 cycles. For institutional participants, the shift points to lower risk, improved liquidity, and more efficient capital deployment.
The expanded permissions also allow Securitize to participate as an underwriter or underwriting syndicate member for initial public offerings (IPOs) and secondary offerings of tokenized securities, effectively bringing issuance and subsequent trading onto blockchain rails.
The move aligns with parallel regulatory and market developments, including approval for the New York Stock Exchange to list tokenized instruments. Separately, Securitize's partnership with Computershare is positioned to help public companies issue tokenized shares directly.
The announcement comes as crypto and blockchain infrastructure continues to be absorbed into institutional market structures. Securitize's planned merger with Cantor Equity Partners II adds to expectations that the company aims to deepen ties with traditional finance and ultimately pursue a public listing.
For investors, the direction signals a rotation away from experimental pilots toward regulated, scalable implementations. If adoption continues, tokenization could become a foundational layer for future capital markets, with faster processing, lower costs, and wider access. FINRA's stance also suggests regulators may increasingly view onchain infrastructure as an evolution of the existing system rather than primarily a risk factor.
