tZERO Group, Inc. and Blockchain Market, Inc. (d/b/a /mkt) have announced a strategic partnership to create the first regulated platform enabling retail investors to purchase tokenized securities backed by professional athletes' future earnings. This collaboration combines tZERO's regulated blockchain infrastructure with /mkt's athlete investment platform, potentially creating an entirely new asset class accessible to both accredited and non-accredited investors.
Under the partnership, tZERO will provide /mkt with access to its regulated alternative trading system (ATS), blockchain-native custody and settlement infrastructure, and transfer agent services. These services will support the full lifecycle of /mkt's tokenized athlete-linked securities, from primary issuance through secondary trading. Primary distribution of /mkt's Regulation A+ offerings will be conducted through Forwardslash Financial LLC, /mkt's broker-dealer subsidiary, pending FINRA membership approval.
The platform's operation involves professional athletes partnering with /mkt to tokenize a portion of their future earnings into SEC-qualified securities offered under Regulation A+ (Tier 2). This structure allows investors to purchase fractional interests, creating what the companies describe as a liquid, publicly tradable market for athlete-linked performance contracts. tZERO's institutional-grade infrastructure powers the entire securities lifecycle, including secondary trading on its SEC- and FINRA-regulated ATS, which operates from 12:05 am to 11:35 pm ET on trading days.
Spencer Gareiss, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Blockchain Market, Inc., stated that the partnership with tZERO provides the infrastructure backbone that makes /mkt possible. "Athletes are some of the most valuable brands in the world, yet until now there has been no regulated, accessible way for fans and investors to share in that upside," Gareiss explained. Alan Konevsky, Chief Executive Officer of tZERO Group, Inc., added that "the next phase of tokenization is about expanding what can become investable within a regulated framework" and that sports represents a critical investment category previously unseen outside of betting markets.
The significance of this development lies in its potential to open up the global sports industry, which generates over $500 billion annually, to retail investors. Individual athlete earnings have historically remained inaccessible as an investable asset class. The tokenized structure offers potential benefits that traditional securities cannot provide, including blockchain-based settlement for speed and transparency, fractional ownership for broad accessibility, and the possibility of 24/7 secondary market trading. More information about tZERO's services can be found at tZERO, while details about /mkt are available at /mkt.
Under the agreement, tZERO will provide comprehensive services including broker-dealer services through tZERO Securities, LLC, secondary market trading on its regulated ATS, blockchain-native custody through its wallet infrastructure, transfer agent services for end-to-end cap table management, and ongoing compliance and regulatory support. /mkt expects to launch its first athlete-linked securities offerings in 2026, with secondary market trading on tZERO's ATS to follow. The company is currently preparing and filing its offering statement on Form 1-A with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under Regulation A+ (Tier 2). No offering has been qualified and no securities are currently available for purchase.
