- Computershare, a major financial services firm and transfer agent for 58% of the S&P 500, is partnering with tokenization specialist Securitize to issue blockchain-based shares.
- The new Issuer-Sponsored Tokens (ISTs) will grant holders the same legal rights as traditional shares, unlike synthetic products that only offer price exposure.
- The move aims to modernize market infrastructure by automating corporate actions like dividends and votes while providing issuers access to digital-native investors.
- Securitize, which plans to go public at a $1.25 billion valuation, brings experience from tokenizing over $4 billion in assets for firms like BlackRock and KKR.
In a significant move for traditional finance, Australia‘s Computershare is entering the digital asset space through a new partnership with Securitize. This collaboration will allow the firm’s U.S.-listed clients to issue blockchain-based versions of their shares directly to investors.
These new tokens, called Issuer-Sponsored Tokens (ISTs), provide full legal ownership rights. Consequently, they differ fundamentally from the indirect exposure products offered by other platforms like Kraken or Robinhood. Ann Bowering, CEO of Issuer Services for Computershare North America, stated, “What is evolving is the environment around that role: Issuers increasingly want greater transparency into their shareholder base, more timely ownership information, and more efficient servicing.”
Founded in 1978, Computershare is the official record-keeper for giants like Amazon and Tesla, overseeing 35 million accounts. The company generated $607 million in profit on $3.1 billion in revenue in 2025. This partnership marks a major escalation of its blockchain strategy, which it detailed in a 10-page letter to the SEC’s Crypto Task Force.
Securitize brings substantial experience, having tokenized more than $4 billion in assets for major managers. The Miami-based firm announced plans in October to go public via a SPAC merger at a $1.25 billion valuation. Carlos Domingo, cofounder and CEO of Securitize, explained the logic: “We recognized that Computershare is a huge incumbent… and figured out that the least disruptive path for many companies seeking to tokenize their shares was to keep the same transfer agent.”
He added that tokenization can automate corporate actions like dividend payments and proxy votes. Meanwhile, this approach allows issuers to access new liquidity venues and investors who prefer holding assets in digital wallets.
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