Securitize and Chiliz Group-powered Socios.com are joining forces to develop regulated tokenised equity offerings that would represent minority ownership stakes in professional sports teams.
The initiative, which will operate under the Socios Equity Token brand, aims to connect fan engagement with access to a section of the professional sports investment market that has traditionally been difficult for individuals to enter.
Socios.com will lead relationships with sports organisations and their supporters. Securitize will be responsible for the regulated issuance of securities, investor onboarding, ownership records and transfers through its infrastructure in the United States and Europe.
“By connecting fan engagement with regulated tokenized equity, the partnership is intended to serve two distinct audiences: eligible fans seeking a deeper economic relationship with the teams they support, and institutional and private-equity investors seeking exposure to a high-value alternative asset class,” the companies said in a press release.
The project is expected to become the first initiative launched through Securitize’s fully authorised European Trading & Settlement System under the European Union’s DLT Pilot Regime. The system could give eligible fans, alongside institutional and private-equity investors, greater access to the global professional sports franchise market, which the companies estimate is worth $500bn.
Specific information about the teams involved, the terms of each offering, who will be eligible to invest and which blockchain networks will be supported will be released after individual offerings receive approval.
Socios.com has already issued fan tokens in partnership with more than 70 sports organisations, most of them football clubs. The new project differs from those fan tokens by focusing on regulated equity, potentially giving investors ownership rights in the participating teams rather than solely access to supporter-focused features and engagement opportunities.
“Professional sports teams represent a significant asset class that has remained largely private and difficult to access,” Securitize chief executive Carlos Domingo said in a statement. “Securitize’s regulated infrastructure in the United States and Europe can provide teams and their owners with a new way to issue and administer equity while preserving the investor protections and ownership rights that should come with a regulated security.”
The move comes as the market for tokenised real-world assets continues to grow. Data from RWA.xyz shows its market capitalisation has more than doubled over the past year and is approaching $40bn.
Securitize listed on the New York Stock Exchange in July as part of a $400m special purpose acquisition company deal. On the same day, it launched tokenised versions of its complete SECZ shares on the Solana and Avalanche blockchains, an industry first.
“I think the timing is really good because we’re approaching a tipping point in tokenization for financial services generally, and Securitize is, in my view, in the clear leading position as an infrastructure builder, “Securitize President Brett Redfearn told The Block at the time.
The partnership’s announcement does not identify the first participating teams or specify when the initial offerings will become available. Those details are expected to be confirmed once the individual transactions have been approved.
The Block is an independent media outlet that publishes news, research and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor in The Block and invests in other companies in the cryptocurrency sector. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget is an anchor limited partner for Foresight Ventures. The Block says it continues to operate independently to provide objective, impactful and timely information about the cryptocurrency industry, and publishes current financial disclosures.
© 2026 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial or other advice.
