The New York Stock Exchange has announced a collaboration with Securitize, a tokenization firm backed by BlackRock, aimed at accelerating the adoption of blockchain-based trading infrastructure on Wall Street. Under the arrangement, the world’s largest stock exchange by market capitalization will work with Securitize to develop standards for tokens representing real-world assets such as stocks, bonds, and exchange-traded funds. The details were outlined in a joint press release issued by both companies.
Securitize is also set to become the first digital transfer agent for NYSE’s Digital Trading Platform, a system designed to support around-the-clock trading. In that role, Securitize will be able to create blockchain-native securities on the NYSE-affiliated platform. The companies describe this as a foundational step toward integrating digital asset infrastructure into established market structures.
The announcement reflects a broader trend of traditional financial institutions taking blockchain-based trading more seriously. Last year, SEC Chair Paul Atkins unveiled Project Crypto, describing it as an agency-wide effort to develop rules enabling American financial markets to move on-chain. More recently, Nasdaq received regulatory approval for a pilot program involving tokenized securities, with trading and settlement expected to remain within traditional market rails through coordination with a subsidiary of Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation.
Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo has previously argued that the only meaningful way to represent securities on a blockchain is through native tokenization. Under that model, a token representing a share of stock would carry the same rights as its traditional equivalent, including voting rights and dividend eligibility. Domingo reiterated this philosophy in a statement accompanying the NYSE announcement, saying the goal is to build tokenization infrastructure that operates within real market structure, with appropriate protections and operational integrity.
Traditional transfer agents record securities ownership in book-entry form using centralized databases, but Securitize employs a blockchain-based system for that function. The firm already manages BlackRock’s BUIDL fund, a $2 billion tokenized money-market fund that primarily operates on Ethereum. That experience positions Securitize as one of the more established players in the institutional tokenization space.
Securitize has also attracted attention through other high-profile partnerships. Last month, World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance project backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, engaged Securitize to issue tokens connected to the development of a luxury resort in the Maldives. In October, the firm disclosed plans to list on the Nasdaq at a valuation of $1.25 billion. BlackRock had previously led a $47 million strategic funding round for Securitize in 2024, prior to Trump’s election on a pro-crypto platform.
Originally reported by Decrypt.
