Blockchain Market, Inc. (d/b/a /mkt), a platform enabling fans and retail investors to purchase SEC-regulated securities tied to professional athletes’ future earnings, announced a strategic partnership with tZERO Group, Inc., a provider of blockchain-powered multi-asset infrastructure. 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, supporting the full lifecycle of /mkt's tokenized athlete-linked securities. Primary distribution of /mkt's Regulation A+ offerings will be conducted through Forwardslash Financial LLC, /mkt's broker-dealer subsidiary, currently pending FINRA membership approval.
The collaboration integrates regulated digital securities infrastructure with the professional sports market, advancing an asset class that allows everyday investors to participate in the economic upside of professional athletes’ careers. Subject to SEC qualification and FINRA membership approval, through /mkt’s platform, professional athletes partner with the company to tokenize a portion of their future earnings into SEC-qualified securities offered under Regulation A+ (Tier 2). This allows both accredited and non-accredited retail investors to purchase fractional interests, creating a liquid, publicly tradable market for athlete-linked performance contracts.
tZERO’s institutional-grade infrastructure powers the full securities lifecycle: from primary issuance and investor onboarding through its broker-dealer subsidiaries, to secondary trading on its SEC- and FINRA-regulated ATS, and ongoing custody and settlement on blockchain rails. “This partnership with tZERO is the infrastructure backbone that makes /mkt possible,” said Spencer Gareiss, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Blockchain Market, Inc. “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. By combining our sports-native platform with tZERO’s proven regulatory infrastructure and trading technology, we’re opening an entirely new market – one that is clearly regulated, blockchain-native, and designed for the retail investor from day one.”
Alan Konevsky, Chief Executive Officer of tZERO Group, Inc., said, “The next phase of tokenization is about expanding what can become investable within a regulated framework. Sports is a critical investment category and one that’s been largely unseen outside of the betting markets. Through this partnership with /mkt, we’re applying tZERO’s regulated broker-dealer-led digital securities infrastructure to support innovative athlete-linked investments designed for investor participation from day one.”
The global sports industry generates over $500 billion annually, yet individual athlete earnings have remained inaccessible as an investable asset class. /mkt changes that by securitizing a contractually agreed-upon percentage of an athlete’s future income stream, packaging it into a Regulation A+ qualified offering, and making it available to the general public through tZERO’s regulated marketplace. The tokenized structure has the potential to deliver benefits that traditional securities cannot: blockchain-based settlement for speed and transparency, fractional ownership for broad accessibility, and the potential for 24/7 secondary market trading on tZERO’s ATS – bringing the athlete investment experience in line with how modern investors expect markets to function.
Under the agreement, tZERO will provide broker-dealer services for primary distribution through tZERO Securities, LLC; secondary market trading on its regulated ATS; blockchain-native custody through tZERO’s wallet infrastructure; transfer agent services for cap table management; and ongoing AML/KYC and securities compliance 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 SEC under Regulation A+ (Tier 2). No offering has been qualified and no securities are currently available for purchase.
