Securitize clears SEC hurdle, heads toward NYSE listing as SECZ

Securitize, the tokenization specialist backed by BlackRock, moved a step closer to becoming a publicly traded company after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved a key filing tied to its planned merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The agency declared Securitize's registration statement for its proposed combination with Cantor Equity Partners II (CEPT) effective.

The merger pairs Securitize with a blank-check company sponsored by an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald, the companies said Friday. Shareholders vote on June 29, and if they approve, the combined company is expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange shortly after under the ticker "SECZ."

The milestone lands as tokenization has emerged as one of the fastest-growing trends in finance. The process involves creating blockchain-based representations of traditional assets such as funds, bonds, private credit and equities. Proponents argue the technology can reduce settlement times, lower costs and let assets trade around the clock — a pitch that essentially markets sleep as a bug, not a feature.

The market has drawn growing interest from global banks and asset managers including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, JPMorgan and Fidelity.

The tokenized asset market nearly tripled in a year to surpass $30 billion, RWA.xyz data shows. Citi has projected tokenized assets could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030, while a joint report from Boston Consulting Group and Ripple estimated the market could grow to $18.9 trillion by 2033.

Securitize has become one of the sector's most prominent infrastructure providers, supplying the tokenization, transfer-agent and trading technology behind products from firms including BlackRock, Apollo, KKR, Hamilton Lane and VanEck.

Its highest-profile partnership is with BlackRock's BUIDL fund, a tokenized money market fund launched in 2024 that has grown into one of the largest tokenized Treasury products in the market. The firm is also helping the New York Stock Exchange build its tokenized securities platform, a project that began earlier this year.

Securitize pressing ahead with its public listing is notable given that several crypto companies, including Kraken and Consensys, have halted similar efforts amid turbulent crypto markets.