Tokenization platform Securitize climbed about 10% postmarket after reporting third quarter growth alongside increased operating expenses, and announcing an expansion into asset-backed finance through a strategic acquisition.
Miami-based Securitize, which made its public market debut in July, operates in the relatively new corner of the crypto equity universe involved in institutional tokenization infrastructure. Tokenized assets on the platform grew 9% in the third quarter, to $4.8 billion, from the same period a year ago. Aggregate transaction volume rose 20% from a year ago, to $4.3 billion. Revenue of $11.5 million was up 28% from last year.
The growth came as bullish sentiment around tokenization gained traction throughout the third quarter, ahead of the Security and Exchange Commission formalizing the long awaited Innovation Exemption on Sept. 17, which created a temporary pathway for trading of certain tokenized stocks and strengthened the regulatory outlook.
Profitability is still meaningfully below year-ago levels, due in part to costs associated with going public over the summer, as well as the scaling up of the tokenization business at an active time for the entire sector, Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo told CNBC in an exclusive interview.
Securitize reinforced "certain areas of the company like finance, compliance, legal [and] cybersecurity," which increased corporate costs "compared to a year ago when we were privately held," Domingo said. "We're in in a very good position. The adjusted EBITDA … is improving significantly from previous quarters."