Trading Team Lead

Alpaca has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a Capital Markets Services licence. The approval allows Alpaca's Southeast Asian headquarters, Alpaca Securities Pte. Ltd., to move forward with plans to provide brokerage and custodial services in Singapore once final conditions are met. Singapore serves as a strategic hub for Alpaca's Southeast Asian operations. The company aims to support financial institutions across the region with access to global markets through locally regulated infrastructure. Alpaca currently operates across multiple jurisdictions, including the US, UK, 30 European Economic Area countries, Japan, India, and The Bahamas. The company supports over 10 million brokerage accounts across hundreds of fintechs and institutions in more than 50 countries, backed by $400 million in funding.

Bullish coalition pushes real ownership for tokenized stocks. Bullish, Equiniti, Alpaca, Apex Fintech Solutions and DriveWealth formed a coalition to develop issuer-sponsored tokenized shares. The initiative aims to preserve shareholder rights. It also seeks stronger links between blockchain markets and traditional equities. Published on: 26 Sep 2026, 11:00 am Updated on: 26 Sep 2026, 11:00 am Bullish and Equiniti have launched the Issuer Sponsored Token Coalition alongside Alpaca, Apex Fintech Solutions and DriveWealth. The group wants tokenized public shares tied directly to companies' official shareholder registers. The coalition will work on standards, infrastructure and operating frameworks for issuer-sponsored tokenized securities. Its members also want blockchain-based securities to operate alongside existing capital markets. At the center of the initiative lies a key ownership issue. Some products marketed as tokenized equities may not give investors the same rights as traditional shares. Coalition targets shareholder rights in tokenized stocks. Under the coalition's proposed issuer-sponsored model, tokenized securities would connect directly with an issuer's authoritative shareholder register. That structure could preserve voting rights, dividends and corporate-action entitlements. As a result, investors holding qualifying tokenized securities could maintain the ownership protections associated with ordinary public shares. Blockchain technology would provide new infrastructure without separating shareholders from issuers. DriveWealth CEO Naureen Hassan said much of what markets currently describe as tokenized equity does not represent direct equity ownership. She said the coalition intends to address that gap. Hassan added that an issuer-sponsored model can retain voting rights and corporate-action entitlements while market infrastructure moves onchain. DriveWealth will help develop the model alongside the other coalition members. The coalition therefore centers its work on direct ownership rather than simply creating blockchain-linked exposure to listed shares. SEC framework shapes emerging onchain equity market. The coalition's launch follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's September 17 Innovation Exemption. The measure permits limited onchain trading involving U.S.-listed equities. Under the SEC framework, venues must verify that tokenized stocks provide holders with the same rights and privileges as their traditional equivalents. That requirement places shareholder treatment at the center of onchain equity development. The relief will remain available for five years. Meanwhile, the SEC is seeking public comments on how the framework should develop as tokenized markets expand. For the coalition, those requirements align with its issuer-sponsored approach. Members want tokenized shares connected to official company records rather than operating separately from established ownership systems. Bullish CEO Tom Farley said public companies should remain central to relationships with their shareholders. He also said market participants need to establish the right architecture as tokenization develops. Farley described tokenization as a way to turn static assets into more active and transparent digital shares. At the same time, he said existing market protections should remain part of the structure. Market infrastructure firms focus on interoperability. Alpaca will contribute infrastructure intended to connect traditional securities markets with onchain systems. The company already operates its Instant Tokenization Network for converting tokenized equities and traditional counterparts. Arush Sehgal, Alpaca's Head of Digital Assets, said tokenization creates new ways to connect issuers and investors. He also said shareholder protections must remain intact as those markets develop. Apex Fintech Solutions will contribute experience spanning issuers, broker-dealers and investors. Global Head of Digital Markets Travis McGhee said connective infrastructure will determine whether tokenized securities can scale. According to McGhee, tokenized markets need standards that preserve existing relationships and investor protections. Apex joined the coalition to help develop that infrastructure. Meanwhile, Equiniti and Bullish will work with the other participants on the wider standards and frameworks needed for issuer-sponsored securities. The coalition plans to address technical standards, operating structures and market connections as tokenized public securities develop. Its model keeps issuers linked to investors while blockchain infrastructure changes how shares can trade and settle. Final thoughts. The Issuer Sponsored Token Coalition aims to connect tokenized stocks directly with company shareholder registers while preserving voting, dividend and corporate-action rights. Its members will develop standards and infrastructure as the SEC's five-year framework opens limited onchain trading for U.S.-listed equities.

Bullish, Alpaca and Apex Fintech form coalition to push issuer-backed tokenized stocks. The group aims to link onchain shares to official shareholder records following the U.S. SEC's innovation exemption for tokenized stock trading. 2 hours ago * Bullish, Equiniti, Alpaca, Apex Fintech Solutions and DriveWealth teamed up to form an industry group focused on issuer-sponsored tokenized securities. Bullish (BLSH), Equiniti, Alpaca, Apex Fintech Solutions and DriveWealth have formed a new industry group focused on building standards for tokenized securities that remain directly tied to the companies that issue them. The Issuer Sponsored Token Coalition, unveiled on Thursday, was convened by CoinDesk parent company Bullish and Equiniti, a shareholder-services and market-infrastructure firm that is being acquired by the crypto platform. The group said they plan to work on technical standards, settlement, custody and ways to move securities between traditional market infrastructure and blockchain networks. Its main focus is issuer-sponsored tokenization, in which a tokenized share would be linked to a company's official shareholder register. That structure is designed to preserve rights such as voting, dividends and participation in corporate actions. The distinction has gained attention as firms roll out products that offer stock exposure without always giving holders direct ownership of the underlying shares. A recent dispute between AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron and Robinhood highlighted that issue, centering on whether synthetic or tokenized products may leave investors with economic exposure to a stock but without the same legal rights as registered shareholders. Issuer-sponsored models aim to narrow that gap by tying the token directly to the issuer's records. "The architecture we establish now matters and that is why we are bringing together this group of leading firms to chart the course," said Tom Farley, CEO of Bullish. Alpaca said it plans to contribute to interoperability between traditional securities and onchain markets through its Instant Tokenization Network. "Tokenization creates an opportunity to connect issuers and investors in ways that weren't possible with traditional market infrastructure," said Arush Sehgal, head of digital assets at Alpaca. "Getting it right means preserving shareholder rights and ensuring onchain markets remain connected to the markets they're built on. Apex Fintech Solutions, which provides infrastructure for broker-dealers and other financial firms, said the group could help establish standards that enable tokenized markets to connect with existing systems. The coalition said its work follows last week's U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission exemption allowing limited onchain trading of U.S.-listed equities under certain conditions. AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by its editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to its standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy. As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region's rules, use cases, and RLUSD's role. Sep 15, 2026 Commissioned by Ripple Why it matters: As stablecoins move into regulated finance, APAC is becoming a key proving ground. This report maps the region's rules, use cases, and RLUSD's role.