Securitize, the U.S.-based tokenization platform behind several of the largest on-chain real-world asset (RWA) initiatives, announced plans to go public through a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II (Nasdaq: CEPT), valuing the company at $1.25 billion. The move will make Securitize the first publicly traded firm focused exclusively on tokenized securities.
The deal includes a $225 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) led by Arche, Borderless Capital, Hanwha Investment & Securities, InterVest, and ParaFi Capital, with additional participation from existing backers like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley.
Securitize shareholders, including ARK Invest and Hamilton Lane, will roll over their entire stakes into the new entity, which will trade on Nasdaq under the ticker SECZ.
Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo said the company plans to tokenize its own equity following the listing, a first for a public issuer, as a demonstration of how securities trading can move fully on-chain.
The firm currently operates as a regulated broker-dealer, transfer agent, and alternative trading system, supporting tokenization for funds, equities, and fixed-income instruments.
Since 2017, Securitize has tokenized more than $4 billion in assets, including BlackRock’s $BUIDL U.S. Treasury fund and KKR’s Health Care Strategic Growth Fund II, marking key milestones in institutional blockchain adoption.
The IPO builds on Securitize’s ties with Apollo and VanEck, pushing tokenization further into mainstream finance.
ARK Invest backs Securitize ahead of public listing
The move comes just weeks after ARK Invest increased its stake in Securitize with a $10 million investment, making the company the eighth-largest holding in ARK’s Venture Fund.
Alongside earlier backing from BlackRock and ParaFi, the investment strengthened institutional confidence in the firm’s tokenization framework.
The IPO and ARK’s renewed backing reflect growing confidence in tokenization, a sector Securitize values at $19 trillion. Its plan to tokenize its own equity will test whether blockchain transparency can align with public market rules.
Also read: FG Nexus to Tokenize Stock on Ethereum with Securitize
