The Swiss security tokenization provider BlockState, today has announced that it will launch its asset tokenization platform issuing its own digitized company equity. The announcement comes shortly after BlockState unveiled one of its first clients to conduct an STO, the European urban music promoter Streetlife International. BlockState’s digital company shares will be on public sale starting June 18th, 2019.
BlockState will showcase the entire security tokenization and investment process from start to finish, enabling institutional, professional and retail investors to participate in a public equity round.
It is being backed by international investors from the finance industry and advisors from leading companies including Airbnb, Google, Credit Suisse, and Pictet. Patrick Storchenegger, Swiss notary and board member of the Ethereum Foundation, acted as the legal architect. BlockState will enable both institutional and retail investors to participate in the public offering of €2 million to fund further technical and business development activities.
“Issuing our company equity on our own platform really demonstrates the value of tokenization for SMEs and other non-bankable assets. The ease with which issuers and investors can be connected compared to the complex, bloated value chains of traditional capital markets is nothing short of disruptive. We are thrilled to see our own issuance become an example case for the wider market and are even more excited about the trust placed in us by the many international clients in our pipeline.”
Tokenization: the new standard for fundraising infrastructure
BlockState addresses the inefficient access to capital markets, which according to data from the Bank of International Settlement affects 54 percent of assets worldwide. Security tokenization enables entrepreneurs and asset holders to access capital markets at significantly reduced costs, breaking down barriers to entry for issuers as well as investors.
Security tokens are digital representations of existing regulated financial products. Using blockchain technology and smart contracts, security tokens can be programmed to enable shareholder rights like dividends and voting without the need for costly intermediaries. Security tokens can be issued at low cost and split indefinitely to allow smaller investment tickets. The easy and instantaneous transfer between parties paired with a growing demand for tokens on the issuer and investor side holds the promise of more efficient secondary markets.
Creating a new fundraising ecosystem
In addition to the legal and technical setup for a digital issuance and interfaces to manage investor communications and corporate actions such as dividends or votings, BlockState provides access to an ecosystem of financial service providers such as private banks and secondary markets for digital assets to directly connect issuers with investors. The BlockState solution operates on the Ethereum blockchain and is set up to accommodate interoperability with R3/Corda, to ensure compatibility for institutional investors and financial intermediaries.