Blockchain.com and NYSE Group signed a memorandum of understanding on September 23 that would give the crypto platform’s users access to tokenized U.S. exchange-listed equities and ETFs through the NYSE’s planned digital alternative trading system, the companies announced. The distribution plan still needs regulatory approval, but it lays out a route for tens of millions of Blockchain.com customers to trade tokenized shares of companies listed on the world’s largest stock exchange and settle those trades onchain.
What the memorandum covers
Under the non-binding agreement, Blockchain.com would distribute tokenized U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds on the NYSE’s previously announced digital ATS. NYSE framed the tie-up as a way to broaden its access to crypto-native investors through Blockchain.com’s global customer base, which spans more than 70 jurisdictions. The companies pointed to a Citi Institute forecast of a $5.5 trillion base case for tokenized assets by 2030, arguing that tokenized stocks can offer fractional ownership, around-the-clock trading, access for investors anywhere in the world, and faster, more transparent onchain settlement.
Market data flows both ways
The memorandum also covers a two-way market data arrangement. ICE Data Services, an NYSE-affiliated business, plans to distribute Blockchain.com’s crypto market data and analytics to its subscribers, while Blockchain.com plans to embed certain ICE and NYSE exchange data feeds into its app. Blockchain.com said the arrangement would equip more than 44 million confirmed accounts with real-time stock information.
What the executives said
“Tokenized stocks are one of the most impactful advancements in the modern financial landscape,” said Peter Smith, executive chairman, chief executive officer, and co-founder of Blockchain.com. “Connecting to the NYSE digital ATS will enable us to extend the opportunity to invest in these digital assets to tens of millions of Blockchain.com users around the world.” Lynn Martin, president of NYSE Group, called Blockchain.com’s international footprint and digital asset expertise “a natural complement to our tokenized securities platform upon launch.”
The memorandum builds on two tracks the companies have been pursuing separately. NYSE parent ICE recently named Avalanche for a 24/7 on-chain trading platform, and Blockchain.com earlier joined TP ICAP’s Fusion Digital Assets as a liquidity partner. Neither company has said when the distribution arrangement might launch or which stocks and ETFs would be offered first.
