Chainlink Co-Founder Sees Tokenized Equity Surge with SEC's Innovation Exemption
Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov predicted a significant surge in tokenized equity during a panel at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on September 25, 2026. The prediction is based on the SEC's Innovation Exemption framework, which allows for onchain trading of tokenized US equities.
The Innovation Exemption is a five-year framework that enables the creation and trading of tokenized shares on blockchains. Nazarov argued that this regulatory development will lead to a formal, real-time, and efficient market infrastructure.
Nazarov emphasized that the US equities market accounts for the majority of global financial system equity value and flow, and believes that market needs technological transition to maintain its leadership position worldwide.