Could IBRX Be A Tokenized Stock? Founder’s Tease Sends ImmunityBio Traders Into Speculation Mode

RWA Signal Insight
StocksImmunityBio founder Patrick Soon-Shiong has signaled a potential move toward tokenizing the company's shares following his announcement regarding blockchain-based stock trading at Nant. This development follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent introduction of an 'Innovation Exemption,' which establishes a five-year framework for trading tokenized versions of U.S.-listed securities. Soon-Shiong, who controls 65.5% of ImmunityBio, aims to leverage Nant Global Finance’s infrastructure to integrate blockchain settlement into capital markets. The proposed platform intends to utilize automated market makers and auditable smart contracts to mirror the rights of traditional shares, including dividends and voting. Retail investors have responded with increased bullish sentiment, speculating that tokenization could mitigate issues like phantom shares and short-selling pressures. Nant Global Finance is currently assembling a suite of capabilities through acquisitions, including Horizon Globex and Upstream Exchange technology. This shift highlights the growing institutional interest in applying blockchain technology to modernize equity trading and settlement processes.
Key points
- SEC Innovation Exemption creates a five-year pathway for trading tokenized U.S.-listed securities.
- Nant Global Finance is building an integrated platform for blockchain-enabled capital markets.
- Tokenized shares must provide identical dividends, voting, and proxy rights as traditional equities.
- Nant acquisitions include Horizon Globex, Upstream Exchange, and transfer agents BlockAgent and Equity Stock Transfer.
Background
Nant Global Finance is a financial technology entity focused on building a vertically integrated blockchain-enabled capital markets platform. It aims to combine broker-dealer, transfer-agent, and exchange services to facilitate the issuance and trading of tokenized securities. The initiative seeks to improve market efficiency by replacing traditional settlement cycles with real-time blockchain-based processes.