Securitize COO Sonnenshein on crypto’s new era: ‘lawsuits dropped, SEC listening’

The U.S. crypto industry has undergone a significant turning point with help from the White House, according to Securitize Chief Operating Officer Michael Sonnenshein. 

Speaking during an interview on Bloomberg TV, the former Grayscale CEO discussed the obvious change in how the White House is dealing with the crypto industry. Notably, the Biden administration’s tone was defined by enforcement actions while the Trump administration is signalling a willingness to collaborate on innovation.

“It really is night and day,” Sonnenshein said. “Crypto was still operating under a regime of regulation by enforcement. Now, lawsuits have been dropped, the White House has a head of crypto, and the SEC has a task force actively meeting with businesses.”

This new regulatory backdrop, he said, is laying the groundwork for the rapid rise of tokenized real-world assets. At Securitize, which operates the largest tokenization platform to date, the company has already brought nearly $2.5 billion worth of assets—ranging from treasuries to public equities—onto public blockchains like Ethereum and Polygon.

Sonnenshein emphasized that tokenization isn’t just about blockchain hype, it’s about improving the investor experience by offering daily dividends, instant liquidity, and 24/7 access. These are all unique benefits that are not available to investors in “traditional financial products,” he said.

He pointed to the firm’s partnership with BlackRock on the BUIDL tokenized treasury fund as a prime example, noting its ability to offer real-time redemptions and use in DeFi ecosystems.

As tokenized treasuries and equities expand, Sonnenshein expects the momentum to continue throughout the year.

He said that Securitize is seeing growth rates above 500% in tokenized treasuries alone while scoring recent milestones like the tokenization of Exodus, a publicly traded company.

Looking ahead to the SEC’s leadership transition, Sonnenshein stressed the importance of continued dialogue.

“If we’re going to expand access to RWAs or revisit accredited investor definitions, that collaboration with regulators is essential,” he said.