Securitize appoints former SEC director Brett Redfearn as president and board member

California-based Securitize said on Thursday that Redfearn will help scale the firm’s regulated platform across issuance, trading and fund administration, and strengthen relationships with regulators, exchanges and institutional partners.

As a board member, he will guide the company on its long-term strategy, as Securitize aims to position itself at the forefront of tokenisation, a trend increasingly being adopted across global market infrastructure.

Redfearn is already familiar with Securitize, having served as the chairman of the firm’s advisory board for the past four years.

"Having served as Chairman of Securitize's Advisory Board for the past four years, he is deeply familiar with our business, leadership team, and long-term vision. As tokenisation becomes an integral part of core financial infrastructure, his experience will help ensure this transition is built to improve existing market structure, with the protections and integrity investors expect.” Carlos Domingo, co-founder and chief executive of Securitize, said in a release.

Prior to Securitize, he served as the head of capital markets at Coinbase, where he led the development of building the emerging ecosystem for digital asset securities and extending institutional participation in digital asset markets.

At the SEC, Redfearn served as the director of trading and markets division from 2017 to 2021, where he was responsible for overseeing several key rulemakings and policies impacting US securities markets.

Prior to the SEC, he held multiple roles at J.P. Morgan & Chase for over nine years.

Redfearn is also the founder of Panorama Financial Markets Advisory, a strategic adviser at Texas Stock Exchange, and a board member of National Digital Trust Company.

His board appointment comes as Securitize strengthens its governance framework to scale its institutional platform and prepare for its next phase as a public company.

Securitize, in October, proposed a business combination with Cantor Equity Partners II, a special purpose acquisition company, for a $1.25 billion (£937.5 million) pre-money equity value. The company expects to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or Nasdaq, subject to regulatory approvals.

Securitize recently tokenised ordinary shares of Nasdaq-listed fintech Currenc Group on its platform, bringing public equities onto blockchain infrastructure.

Last month, the NYSE signed a memorandum of understanding with Securitize to support the development of infrastructure for tokenised securities, as exchange groups accelerate efforts to integrate blockchain-based assets into regulated markets.