Benefit from the NASDAQ initiative: How to position yourself for the tokenization boom with Finexity, Coinbase, and BlackRock

Finexity – A digital window to private markets

For many investors, private markets remain a closed world. High minimum investments, complex structures, and a lack of liquidity keep private investors in particular at bay. Hamburg-based fintech Finexity is working to break down these barriers with a technological approach known as tokenization. One concrete step is now the integration into Bremer Sparkasse. This could soon make tokenized investments visible and tradable for millions of savings bank customers directly in their usual securities accounts. This is a strong signal for the practical opening of this segment.

Behind the buzzword "tokenization" lie tangible efficiency gains. At its core, it is a digital form of securitization. Traditional securities trading involves many intermediaries and takes days to settle. In a tokenized system, transactions can, in principle, be settled directly between the parties in near real time. This simplification significantly reduces the costs of trading, custody, and administration. The ongoing pilot with the savings bank infrastructure shows how this leaner technology can be seamlessly embedded into existing banking systems.

Finexity's business model is based on an exchange for these new digital securities. It generates revenue through listing fees, transaction fees, and SaaS licenses for financial institutions. The Sparkassen cooperation is an exemplary lever for this. The technical model is designed so that additional institutions can be connected with comparatively little effort. Together with international expansion, for example, into the Middle East, this highlights the potential for scaling. Long-term success now depends on whether this platform logic resonates with issuers and a growing number of financial partners. The share is currently trading at EUR 41.00.

Coinbase – Expanding its offering

Coinbase is positioning itself much more broadly than a pure crypto exchange. Recently, trading in US stocks was launched directly in the app, with users able to use the stablecoin USDC as a means of payment. At the same time, the Company has introduced prediction markets, and plans to acquire The Clearing Company, a provider in this area. These steps underscore the strategy of becoming a comprehensive trading platform for various digital assets and thus directly competing with rivals such as Robinhood.

The expansion goes beyond retail trading. Coinbase is cooperating with fintech company Klarna to give it access to institutional stablecoin investors. This underscores Coinbase's growing role as an infrastructure partner for traditional financial companies, with tokenization at the heart of the long-term growth plan. Coinbase plans to make not only crypto, but also stocks, bonds, and other assets tradable as tokens. The goal is a 24/7 marketplace with instant settlement.

These ambitions depend heavily on regulatory developments. While laws such as the GENIUS Act provide clarity for stablecoins in the US, Coinbase continues to face challenges. The Company is suing several states to be able to offer prediction markets without local restrictions. A resounding success in the tokenization of traditional assets requires the creation of a regulatory framework that allows for such innovations. Here, Coinbase is caught between its pioneering spirit and regulatory oversight. The stock is currently trading at USD 236.90.

BlackRock – Between record inflows and strategic decisions

BlackRock is heading for a record year. Despite volatile markets, the asset manager recorded organic fee growth of 8% over the past nine months, significantly exceeding its own targets. Inflows are broadly diversified, ranging from ETFs to private credit and discretionary solutions. In the fourth quarter alone, over USD 100 billion flowed into the iShares ETF division. This diversification and market power form the foundation for robust earnings, even though the business is naturally dependent on capital market conditions.

In addition to its core business, BlackRock is driving forward digital transformation. A key issue is the tokenization of assets. The Company is actively working to transfer traditional products such as iShares ETFs to blockchain infrastructures. The vision: in the future, investors should be able to access tokenized funds via digital wallets seamlessly. With its already operational tokenized money market fund BUIDL and talks about a deeper partnership with crypto platforms such as Binance, BlackRock is positioning itself as a bridge builder between the traditional and digital financial worlds.

But there is also a downside to this course. The loss of a major pension client mandate highlights the challenges in the ESG debate. Some investors criticize BlackRock for not taking decisive enough action against climate change, while others accuse the Company of political bias. This polarization, combined with its general dependence on rising markets, represents a risk that should not be underestimated. For investors, BlackRock remains a highly cyclical quality stock that benefits from structural trends, but whose valuation already prices in much of its future success. The stock is currently trading at USD 1,088.11.

The NASDAQ initiative is fueling the unstoppable trend toward tokenization, with established players and fintechs vying for position. Finexity is a pioneer in demonstrating how partnerships, for example with Bremer Sparkasse, can make tokenized assets suitable for everyday use in the mass market. Coinbase is aggressively expanding its crypto exchange into a 24/7 platform for all digital assets, but remains in a regulatory gray area. BlackRock is using its immense market power to build bridges and bring traditional funds such as ETFs into the digital world.