Analysts: Coinbase, Robinhood, and Circle may be early beneficiaries of the SEC's tokenized stock policy

According to CoinDesk, the U.S. SEC has launched a five-year innovation exemption that provides a pathway for eligible tokenized U.S. stocks to be traded through automated market makers (AMM) on public blockchains. Analysts from Goldman Sachs and Citizens believe that Coinbase, Robinhood, and Circle could become early beneficiaries of this policy.

The new framework requires tokens to retain shareholder rights such as dividends and voting rights while imposing limits on the number of stocks and trading volume that trading platforms can offer. Goldman Sachs stated that Coinbase's existing tokenized stock products already possess several of the required features, and its institutional custody business and Coinbase Tokenize may also benefit.

However, Coinbase's current trading platform uses a centralized limit order book, and to operate a trading venue directly under the exemption, it will still need to build AMM infrastructure or route trades to decentralized trading platforms on Base.

Currently, the stock tokens offered by Robinhood for markets outside the U.S. are derivatives that only provide price exposure and do not possess the complete shareholder rights required by the framework, thus requiring further adjustments to the product. Robinhood has previously stated plans to add 1:1 redemption and voting rights features for stocks.

Analysts also believe that an increase in on-chain securities trading may drive demand for tokenized cash, benefiting Circle indirectly, with USDC potentially being used for settlement and collateral in on-chain markets.