Computershare, the transfer agent for over half of the S&P 500, has teamed up with Securitize, a tokenization and compliance platform, to enable US-listed companies to issue tokenized equity and bring their shares on-chain through Issuer-Sponsored Tokens (ISTs).
ISTs represent real company shares, not derivatives or synthetic products, and are recorded directly within the official transfer agent system, Computershare states.
Through this, companies can offer tokenized equity alongside existing shareholding methods such as brokerage accounts and the Direct Registration System (DRS), without changing the underlying structure of ownership.
“ISTs do not rely on derivative tokens that sit on top of underlying shares, nor do they alter any underlying equity. Our work with Computershare connects the technology needed to support tokenization of assets to their deep issuer services expertise, providing US issuers with the ability to create direct equity ownership in token form,” Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize, noted.
As the official transfer agent, Computershare will maintain shareholder records and process corporate actions such as dividends, voting, and stock splits for both traditional shares and tokenized holdings, ensuring that issuers maintain full oversight of their capital structure while introducing optional digital ownership for investors.
“Our focus has been to empower US-listed companies to issue tokenized equity while retaining control with confidence over their issued capital,” said Ann Bowering, who leads Issuer Services at Computershare North America.
“We designed ISTs to operate within the existing regulatory environment, maintaining the independence and oversight that issuers and regulators expect from a transfer agent and allowing for effective interoperability with market infrastructure,” she added.
Computershare forms the key backbone of corporate shareholder administration. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, it maintains records of share ownership for public companies and ensures investors receive dividends and other entitlements.
The company also supports businesses with employee share plans, investor communications, and corporate trust services.
As of April 2026, the tokenized equity market has ballooned to over $900 million in total value. Securitize has partnered with the New York Stock Exchange to develop a 24/7 platform for trading tokenized securities.
