Key Takeaways:
- Securitize and Computershare launched Issuer-Sponsored Tokens, letting U.S.-listed companies put equity directly onchain.
- Computershare serves 25,000-plus companies, giving the IST program immediate reach across a large share of the U.S. transfer agency market.
- Securitize, managing $4B-plus AUM, plans to expand IST interoperability with broader market infrastructure as adoption grows.
Computershare Moves 25,000 Clients Closer to Blockchain-Based Stock Issuance
The two companies announced an agreement on Wednesday that allows U.S. public issuers to include Issuer-Sponsored Tokens, known as ISTs, alongside existing shares as part of their issued capital. Computershare, which serves more than 25,000 companies and employs over 11,000 people worldwide, will act as transfer agent for client ISTs, processing corporate actions alongside traditional directly registered holdings.
ISTs differ from derivative tokens that sit on top of underlying shares. Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize, said the tokens create direct equity ownership in token form without altering the underlying equity itself.
“By partnering with the largest transfer agent in the world, we’re helping to create the optimum pathway to tokenization for listed U.S. companies,” Domingo remarked.
Securitize disclosed that it currently manages more than $4 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of April 2026. The company is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and operates an Alternative Trading System, a registered transfer agent, and holds authorization under the EU DLT Pilot Regime, making it the only firm licensed to run regulated digital-securities infrastructure in both the U.S. and the European Union.
Computershare is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) under the ticker CPU and has operated since 1978. Its issuer services arm will integrate IST processing into existing shareholder management workflows, allowing corporate actions to run across both tokenized and traditional holdings from a single infrastructure.
Ann Bowering, CEO of Issuer Services at Computershare North America, explained that the IST structure was built to work inside current regulatory frameworks. “We designed ISTs to operate within the existing regulatory environment, maintaining the independence and oversight that issuers and regulators expect from a transfer agent,” Bowering said.
Issuers that participate can maintain control over their capital structure while shareholders gain the option to consolidate digital holdings in a self-custody wallet. The setup preserves direct communication between issuers and shareholders, including dividend payments and other corporate action flows.
The agreement does not require issuers to replace existing share structures. Companies can add ISTs alongside shares already held in the Direct Registration System, giving shareholders a choice in how they hold securities rather than forcing a conversion.
Securitize announced a proposed business combination earlier this year with Cantor Equity Partners II, Inc., which trades on Nasdaq under the ticker CEPT. That deal remains pending. The company has also been named to the 2026 Forbes Top 50 Fintech list.
Interoperability between ISTs and broader market infrastructure is expected to develop over time as more issuers and platforms adopt the standard. Securitize counts Apollo, Blackrock, BNY, Hamilton Lane, KKR, and Vaneck among the asset managers it works with on tokenized fund offerings.
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