Securitize Adds Ex-IMF Envoy Sunil Sabharwal to Board as Tokenization Ambitions Grow

Securitize has brought Sunil Sabharwal onto its board of directors as the tokenization outfit pushes forward with its grand plans to tokenize everything short of your grandmother's cookie recipes. Sabharwal is a business executive and investor with deep roots in payments and financial services who held a Senate-confirmed post as a U.S. representative to the International Monetary Fund from 2016 to 2018. Securitize CEO Carlos Domingo noted that Sabharwal brings experience from both the private and public sectors, pointing out that his career is defined by building and scaling financial infrastructure at a global level. Domingo further said Sabharwal's background in payments and international finance would support the company's next phase of growth as tokenization graduates from PowerPoint dream to actual market infrastructure.

Sabharwal currently sits on the boards of Thunes and TookiTaki. He previously chaired payment companies Earthport and Ogone, which eventually got snapped up by Visa and Ingenico respectively. His track record includes work across payments, cross-border finance, and strategic growth, giving Securitize a board member who's comfortable navigating both financial infrastructure and regulated markets. During his public service stint, Sabharwal earned the U.S. Treasury's Distinguished Service Award. He was nominated by former President Barack Obama back in 2016 and served mainly during President Donald Trump's first term until 2018. Since 2021, he's been working as an advisor and operating partner for the Blackstone Growth Equity Fund. He also previously advised SpiceVC, an early backer of Securitize—making this appointment feel like a reunion of sorts.

Securitize currently manages more than $4 billion in on-chain assets, because apparently someone has to watch over those digital bricks. Its platform supports tokenized products tied to firms including BlackRock, Apollo, BNY, Hamilton Lane, KKR, and VanEck. Among its most recognizable products is BlackRock's BUIDL fund—because even BlackRock knows the value of a good pun. The company has positioned itself as one of the larger players in the tokenized real-world asset market as institutions explore blockchain-based fund structures. The board appointment arrives as the firm continues building out that business and as market participants pay closer attention to firms offering tokenized versions of traditional financial products, because apparently some people still trust blockchains more than their own government.

Securitize is also chasing a public market listing through a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II, a Cantor Fitzgerald-sponsored firm. The companies entered into a definitive acquisition agreement back in October, because even crypto companies need to follow SEC paperwork timelines. The deal would value Securitize at $1 billion, with the combined company expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker CEPT. The transaction would also give Securitize access to the $240 million raised by CEPT in its initial public offering—because even in crypto, you still need working capital. That planned listing remains a key part of the company's growth strategy as it expands its presence in tokenized finance, assuming the markets don't decide to go full crypto winter on everyone.