Digital asset investing pioneer will lead tokenization efforts bridging traditional finance and blockchain technology

Securitize, the leading tokenization platform bringing the world on-chain, has appointed Michael Sonnenshein, former CEO of Grayscale Investments, as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective December 9.

Over the course of Sonnenshein’s 10 year tenure at Grayscale, he grew the firm into the world’s largest crypto asset manager, overseeing tens of billions of dollars in assets under management. Under his leadership, Grayscale evolved and diversified its offerings to encompass over 20 funds and was instrumental in securing SEC approval for the introduction of U.S. spot bitcoin ETFs.

“Michael is a trailblazer whose strategic vision and ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes have helped pave the way for establishing digital assets as a mainstream investment class,” said Carlos Domingo, CEO and Co-founder of Securitize. “We look forward to benefiting from his leadership, experience, and commercial acumen to scale our operations and empower investors to access the full potential of tokenized real-world assets.”

“There is massive demand for tokenization, and I am thrilled to join Securitize at such a pivotal moment for the company and the industry,” said Sonnenshein. “Carlos and the exceptional team at Securitize have demonstrated incredible leadership in enabling the growth of tokenization projects, and I am excited to join the team as we work together to address inefficiencies in capital markets and define how investors engage with tokenized products.”

Securitize has been at the forefront of blockchain-based financial innovation, surpassing $1 billion in tokenized real-world assets on-chain. The company has partnered with top-tier asset managers like BlackRock, Hamilton Lane (Nasdaq: HLNE), and KKR to bring tokenized funds to market.

Source: Securitize

Welcome @Sonnenshein to @Securitize!! As we continue scaling our business, Michael's unique expertise in traditional finance, asset management, and crypto will help us continue leading the RWA and tokenization industry and grow even faster, as he previously did very successfully…

— Carlos Domingo (@carlosdomingo) December 12, 2024

As I reflect on my nearly 11 years in crypto, I am grateful for the connections and friendships I’ve made, and proud of the industry growth we’ve championed and fostered together.

Today, I’m excited to share that for the next leg of my crypto journey, I will be working to…

— Sonnenshein (@Sonnenshein) December 12, 2024