The Securities Transfer Association Lobbies SEC: Third-Party Stock Tokens Could Threaten Market Integrity

Odaily Planet Daily News As the tokenization of capital markets intensifies, the Securities Transfer Association (STA) recently submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), warning that stock tokens issued by third-party entities could undermine market integrity. The association is calling on regulators to prioritize tokenized securities authorized by listed companies in future rulemaking.

The STA represents numerous Wall Street transfer agents, whose members argue that genuine tokenized stocks should be formally authorized by the issuing company and recorded on the official shareholder register, rather than consisting of "wrapped" token products created by independent platforms.

The association points out that third-party stock tokens could confuse investors regarding their actual holdings and expose them to platform credit, custody, and operational risks, without establishing a direct legal relationship with the listed company. Therefore, any innovation exemptions, pilot programs, or permanent regulatory frameworks for tokenized securities should be prioritized for the issuer-supported model. The STA also urges the SEC to reform the existing Direct Registration System (DRS), arguing that the current U.S. securities depository system struggles to meet the real-time transfer and settlement demands of on-chain securities. It recommends that regulators collaborate with the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) to optimize the digital securities infrastructure.

Currently, the global tokenized stock market, valued at approximately $2 billion, is predominantly led by the third-party model, including products launched by Ondo Finance and Kraken, while institutions like Securitize and Figure adopt the issuer-authorized model. (CoinDesk)