The New York Stock Exchange has entered into a memorandum of understanding with tokenization platform Securitize, marking a significant step toward building blockchain-based trading infrastructure for Wall Street. The agreement was announced Tuesday by Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the NYSE. Under the partnership, Securitize will serve as the first digital transfer agent on the exchange’s planned Digital Trading Platform, gaining the ability to mint blockchain-based shares for stocks and exchange-traded funds.
The two companies intend to develop a digital transfer agent program along with standards governing tokenization agents, with attention to regulatory, operational, and technology requirements for tokenized securities infrastructure. The announcement builds on ICE’s January 19 proposal for a tokenized securities venue designed to support around-the-clock trading, instant settlement, stablecoin-based funding, and onchain settlement. The planned platform is intended to accommodate both tokenized shares that are fungible with traditionally issued securities and securities issued natively as digital tokens.
ICE has stated that the venue will preserve traditional shareholder dividends and governance rights. Tokenized stocks are shares of conventional company equities recorded on a blockchain ledger, offering investors exposure to stock prices alongside benefits such as continuous market access and fractional ownership. The initiative reflects a broader trend of major exchange operators constructing blockchain-based trading and settlement systems, even as the regulatory framework for tokenized public securities continues to develop.
The NYSE agreement follows a separate regulatory development in which the US Securities and Exchange Commission granted approval to Nasdaq‘s pilot proposal to support trading in tokenized versions of high-volume stocks and securities. Lynn Martin, president of NYSE Group, commented that as the industry explores how tokenization can improve capital markets, it is essential that new infrastructure be built in a manner that maintains the trust, transparency, and protections investors expect. These parallel moves suggest growing institutional momentum behind tokenized securities.
Investor interest in blockchain-based tokenized stocks has been rising steadily. The total value of tokenized stocks surpassed $1 billion on March 10, representing a notable milestone for the real-world asset sector. Over the preceding 30 days, the number of tokenized stockholders grew by 16% to 193,140, while monthly transfer volume climbed 45% to $2.5 billion, according to data from RWA.xyz.
Despite this growth, tokenized stocks remain the sixth-largest segment within the broader $26 billion real-world asset tokenization market. Tokenized treasury debt leads all categories at $11.8 billion, followed by tokenized commodities at over $5 billion. The relative size of the tokenized stock segment suggests significant room for expansion as infrastructure and regulation mature.
Several major crypto exchanges are also moving to offer tokenized stock products. Coinbase launched 24/7 stock perpetual futures for non-US traders, providing cash-settled exposure to major US stocks and indices including Apple and Nvidia. Exchanges Binance and Kraken have similarly introduced tokenized perpetual futures trading for non-US users, alongside a range of other offshore platforms entering the space.
Originally reported by CoinTelegraph.
