Tokenization gets SEC backing as Hester Peirce calls for action

US SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce revealed today that the commission is willing to engage with firms interested in tokenization. During a virtual address to the Digital Assets Summit in Singapore, she urged such firms to approach the regulator directly.

Peirce is a Republican Commissioner for the Securities and Exchange Commission known for her crypto-friendly stance. In August, she called for greater clarity in regulating digital assets. On Tuesday, September 30, she insisted that tokenization raises concerns about how blockchain-based securities interact with their traditional counterparts.  

McKinsey analysis projects tokenized market at $2 trillion by 2030

Tokenized securities represent ownership in assets such as stocks or bonds issued in digital form on a blockchain network. They coexist alongside paper and electronic certificates and are being adopted by financial institutions seeking to enhance efficiency and liquidity.

According to RWA.xyz analysis, the tokenization market is valued at $31 billion, with $714 million in tokenized stocks. McKinsey analysis has projected that the figure could go up to $2 trillion by 2030 as adoption continues to expand across capital markets.

Hester Peirce, the SEC Commissioner, has made her latest comments, which build on her August remarks that the SEC was willing to work with people taking different approaches to tokenizing securities and real-world assets. She told Bloomberg Television that companies would still be required to disclose the nature of assets being tokenized. 

 “It may be a security with different characteristics, and that’s something that needs to be conveyed to investors,” 

–Hester Peirce, SEC Commissioner

Today’s remarks by Peirce did not reveal any policy changes; however, her invitation for industry engagement indicated that the commission is open to dialogue as the tokenized ecosystem expands. She highlighted some of the questions asked, including how a tokenized security interacts with other forms of that security. In her response, she said it depends on how things are tokenized, which could be one of many different things.

The SEC’s Crypto Task Force met with the NYSE today to review tokenization issues. The discussions on the agenda covered considerations for trading tokenized equities and the structures needed to facilitate such activities. The SEC’s Crypto Task Force also discussed the legal and regulatory implications of tokenizing equities, the treatment of different tokenization models, and processes to enable their incorporation. 

According to a snip of the agenda posted by Nate Geraci, President of NovaDiusWealth, the agenda also listed deliberations on defining a facility within an exchange and how the term applies to tokenization and new trading models. 

JPMorgan advances tokenization in the US by introducing Carbon Credits.

US financial firms have already entered the tokenized market, including JPMorgan’s tokenized carbon credits, Kraken, and Robinhood, which announced platforms that will offer tokenized versions of US equities. Bank of America has also revealed increased interest from its investors in tokenized instruments such as stocks, bonds, bank accounts, and real estate.

Cryptopolitan reported in July that JPMorgan and Chase Bank had launched a pilot program for tokenized carbon credits. The bank’s blockchain unit, Kinexys, was tasked with running the project in collaboration with S&P Global Commodity Insights, EcoRegistry, and the International Carbon Registry.

The program targets tokenized carbon credits listed in registry systems, which provide a standardized framework for tracking ownership and transactions from issuance to retirement. According to Alastair Northway, Head of Natural Resources Advisory at JPMorgan Payments, the voluntary carbon market is ripe for innovation, and tokenization could enhance transparency and liquidity in the sector.

According to Grand View Research, the global carbon credit market was estimated at $479.41 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $4,734.35 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 39.4% from 2024 to 2030. Government policies and regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions have fueled demand.

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