As the initial coin offering (ICO) boom subsided and the 2018 crypto bear trend began to set in, many analysts predicted that security tokens may drive the next market cycle — with the vast capital locked in the real estate sector being eyed hungrily for tokenization. However, with the Bitcoin halving, Ethereum 2.0, and the emergence of DeFi capturing the imagination of crypto markets recently, real estate tokenization is no longer the flavor of the month, and some are questioning its viability. Real estate tokenization in 2017/2018 In an article in The Investor, director of global research at real estate …

Recent Q2 financial details from blockchain-involved company Overstock show triple digit percentage growth compared to the same time in 2019. “Our retail success was outstanding,” Overstock CEO and Medici Ventures president Jonathan Johnson told Cointelegraph on July 30. “There were also some good Q2 wins from our blockchain companies,” he added, pointing specifically toward blockchain branch tZERO, its alternative trading platform, tZERO ATS, and blockchain-based voting app Voatz. Overstock issued digital securities to investors in Q2 "Total net revenue was $783 million, an increase of 109% year over year," a public statement on Overstock’s second quarter performance said on July …

Major Japanese financial services company SBI Holdings now owns a 10% stake in the digital security offering platform Boostry. The news follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Nomura Research Institute — a joint venture of Boostry’s majority-owner Nomura Holdings — and SBI. 54% of the platform is owned by Nomura Holdings, Nomura Institute holds a 34% stake, and SBI has 10%. The memorandum also establishes that the three entities will form a strategic alliance concerning the operation of Boostry. tZERO dominates security token volume The agreement between Nomura and SBI comes as the security token sector has …

Leading security token exchange tZERO has partnered with Aspen Digital Inc. to enable trade for Aspen’s digital security. The ‘ASPEN’ token, previously dubbed ‘Aspen Coin’, represents $18 million worth of indirect ownership in the St. Regis Aspen Resort — a five-star, 179-room hotel situated in Colorado. ASPEN’s listing on tZERO comes as the popularity of real estate tokens continues to show steady growth. RealT hosts 17 real estate token offerings Aspen Digital’s August 2018 token sale was widely considered to be the first real estate security token offering, with the firm issuing 1.675 million shares at $20 each. While the …

Overstock’s shares have jumped by 8% following the release of new data regarding user and trading activity on the company’s tZERO alternative trading system (ATS) for security tokens. An announcement published by tZERO on June 10 noted that May was the exchange’s strongest month on record, with 423,000 digital securities changing hands on the platform last month. The spike in activity follows Overstock’s ‘digital dividend’ distribution — which saw one ‘OSTKO’ security distributed for every ten Overstock shares held by investors. Overstock declares digital dividend a success When compared with May 2019, last month saw a fourfold increase in trading …

Since airdropping to Overstock shareholders on May 19, Overstock’s OSTKO token has firmly established itself as the leading security token by trade volume. OSTKO currently posts double the 24-hour trade of volume of the former-top token by volume, also ranking as the most-traded security token for the May despite its airdrop taking place with less than two weeks left in the month. Thus far, the digital dividend appears to have successfully met Overstock’s goals. The firm asserted that the airdrop would provide a boost to the liquidity of its security token exchange tZERO. OSTKO were distributed at a rate of …

Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson has claimed that private, consumer-controlled immunity passports may be the killer app that propels blockchain technology into the mainstream. In an interview with PYMNTS, he said that the company’s investment arm has turned to two startups creating blockchain-based apps allowing consumers to download and control their health records. Making people feel safe again... Johnson suggests that we must consider what will make an average consumer feel safe to use air travel, restaurants or even stores again after the coronavirus pandemic subsides. Ultimately, he believes this hinges on the knowledge that everyone around them is uninfected with …

Overstock has successfully distributed its ‘digital dividend’, issuing ‘OSTKO’ security tokens to its stockholders on a basis of one digital token for every ten company shares owned on May 19. In total, 4.37 million OSTKO tokens were airdropped to shareholders via transfer agent Computershare according to account balances as of April 27. Overstock claims that the airdrop was conducted to bolster liquidity on its security token exchange, tZERO (TZROP). Overstock executes security token airdrop The Series A-1 shares will be exclusively tradable on Overstock’s alternative trading system (ATS) tZERO. Overstock chief executive Jonathan Johnson, expressed pride in having issued the …

Online retailer and early Bitcoin adopter Overstock has filed for the dismissal of a lawsuit that accuses the company of misrepresenting the nature of its ‘digital dividend’ token. The dividend is a security token airdrop that will see ‘OSTKO’ tokens distributed to company shareholders on a basis of one token to every ten Overstock shares. News of the dividend caused a share price surge and the lead plaintiff accuses Overstock of deliberately withholding information regarding the distribution, and of deceiving the market to intentionally punish short sellers. Overstock’s digital dividend distribution is set to take place on May 19. Overstock …

Real estate tokens have continued to post a positive performance for investors, gaining an average of 4.27% during April while top securities tokens suffered losses for the month. The combined capitalization of security tokens fell 8% in total — comprising one of the worst months on record for the nascent sector according to a report published by Security Token Group. April also saw the combined trading activity for security tokens plummet by 38%. Real estate tokens post April price gains The real estate token markets for single-family homes on Patton St, Lesure St, and an apparent building on Appoline St …

Overstock’s blockchain arm tZERO aims to launch its broker dealer service in the United States by Q2 2020. According to an April 30 Forbes article, tZERO Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Saum Noursalehi said he plans to expand the adoption of crypto, security tokens and mainstream trading with a one-stop-shop. However, the company must first be approved as a retail broker-dealer. The company’s retail broker arm tZERO Markets applied to be registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in the U.S. earlier this year. If it receives approval, tZero will expand trading by combining equity and traditional securities with crypto …

tZERO, the blockchain subsidiary of the American internet retailer Overstock, raised $5 million in equity investment from the Hong Kong equity firm GoldenSand Capital. Speaking of the firm’s interest in being a part of tZERO’s initiative, chairman of GoldenSand Capital Sonny Wu stated: “We plan to continue to collaborate with tZERO on strategic opportunities and are interested in partnering our wealth of industry connections across Asia with tZERO’s tokenization protocol technology.” There was, however, no mention from tZERO as to how the company plans to utilize the proceeds from GoldenSand Capital. In their statements, Overstock CEO Jonathan Johnson and tZERO …