Securitize adds SEC investment adviser registration as tokenization business grows

Expanded regulated stack

The new registration strengthens a compliance framework Securitize has already built across several business lines. Before the adviser approval, the firm’s regulated operations included a broker-dealer, an alternative trading system, a transfer agent and fund administration services.

By adding investment adviser status, Securitize gains a broader base for working with asset managers and institutional investors that are considering onchain products and strategies. The company has been positioning itself as a service provider for traditional financial firms moving assets onto blockchain infrastructure.

Regulatory scrutiny around onchain products

The development comes as U.S. regulators are paying closer attention to how long-standing securities rules apply to blockchain-based offerings. The question has become more relevant as crypto-native structures begin to overlap with products marketed to a wider investment audience.

Last week, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce said some crypto vaults and lending strategies may fall under investment adviser rules depending on how they are designed and managed. That framing suggests existing regulation could reach certain automated or blockchain-based yield products without the need for entirely new rulebooks.

Vaults have become one of the fastest-growing segments in decentralized finance. These products let users place crypto into smart contracts that automatically allocate funds across lending venues and other yield-generating opportunities. According to Vaults.fyi, curated vaults now hold about $8.6 billion in assets.

Institutional tokenization push

Securitize has already developed infrastructure tied to tokenized vaults. That includes permissioned lending vaults built with Euler, designed so tokenized assets such as VanEck’s VBILL fund can be used as collateral while preserving investor eligibility requirements.

The company has become one of the larger tokenization infrastructure providers in the market. Its partners include BlackRock, Apollo, KKR and VanEck. Securitize issues BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized money market fund and is also working with the New York Stock Exchange on the underlying systems for tokenized securities trading.

Public listing and market backdrop

Earlier this month, Securitize completed its public listing under the ticker SECZ. Its shares are down nearly 40% through July.

The adviser registration adds to Securitize’s credentials at a time when tokenization is moving further into mainstream financial markets, but when the legal treatment of some onchain investment structures is still being defined through existing securities oversight.