Dinari Brings Tokenized U.S. Equities to American Investors via USDC

Dinari announced on August 4, 2026, the expansion of its tokenized U.S. equities platform to eligible investors within the United States. The move allows American users to trade and hold traditional stocks using blockchain-based rails for the first time.

Through a strategic partnership with Circle, Dinari is offering 724 tokenized U.S. stocks, a catalog that encompasses the entire S&P 500. These assets, branded as "dShares," can be traded and settled using USDC via self-custody crypto wallets. To ensure parity with traditional ownership, dShares are backed by underlying securities held in regulated custody and preserve essential shareholder rights, including dividends and voting capabilities.

The Shift Toward Tokenization

This launch arrives as the broader financial industry accelerates the tokenization of traditional securities. While other firms such as Figure and Securitize have entered the space, their offerings have largely focused on niche or private assets. Dinari is targeting a much larger scale, attempting to bridge the $300 billion stablecoin market with the $60 trillion U.S. equities market. By replacing traditional brokerage stacks with blockchain infrastructure, the company aims to eliminate the settlement delays and broker lock-in inherent in legacy systems.

The appetite for these instruments is growing. According to an a16z crypto report, the market capitalization of tokenized stocks grew approximately 600% to roughly $1.7 billion by the end of June.

Redefining Equity Ownership

For the industry, this represents a fundamental shift toward the democratization of equity trading. By bypassing traditional intermediaries like the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Dinari is moving toward a model where the token itself serves as the trusted ledger of ownership.

Gabriel Otte, co-founder and CEO of Dinari, noted that the ultimate goal is for the token to become the primary record of the stock, stating, "The beauty of that is, then we truly own it." This transition to self-custody removes the reliance on centralized brokers to verify ownership, creating a more mobile and transparent investment ecosystem.

Company Background and Outlook

Founded in 2021, Dinari was established by a team of experienced tech and legal entrepreneurs, including Gabriel Otte, an Apple alumnus; Brandon Ooi, a Stripe alumnus and founder of Crunchyroll; and Chas Rampenthal, a co-founder of LegalZoom.

As the "equity race" heats up, the market will be watching to see if the adoption of dShares triggers a wider migration of retail capital from traditional brokerage accounts to self-custody wallets. The success of the platform will likely depend on the continued regulatory acceptance of tokenized wrappers for public securities and the broader adoption of USDC as a primary settlement layer for traditional assets.