Crypto promised to eliminate stockbrokers, but 94% of its tokenized market now relies on an Alpaca

Alpaca, a California-based broker-dealer, currently custodies over $1.5 billion in underlying shares for tokenized equities, representing approximately 94% of the market. Despite the industry's promise of decentralization and disintermediation, the tokenized stock ecosystem relies heavily on Alpaca as a central clearing and custody provider for major platforms like Binance, Kraken, Ondo, and Dinari. This concentration creates significant counterparty risk, as most third-party tokenized stocks offer only economic exposure rather than direct legal ownership or voting rights. The market faces further scrutiny following the failed SpaceX pre-IPO token offering, which highlighted the fragility of inventory promises across the intermediary chain. Meanwhile, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is set to launch its commercial Tokenization Service in October, which aims to provide tokens with direct legal rights and dividends. By originating tokens within the traditional settlement infrastructure, the DTCC's entry threatens to disrupt the current brokerage-dependent model. This shift marks a pivotal transition from fragmented, third-party tokenization to institutional-grade, regulated digital assets.