The partnership between Blockchain Market, Inc. (d/b/a /mkt) and tZERO Group, Inc. combines regulated blockchain infrastructure with athlete investment capabilities, creating a platform where retail investors can purchase tokenized securities backed by professional athletes' future earnings under Regulation A+. This collaboration integrates tZERO's alternative trading system (ATS), blockchain-native custody, settlement infrastructure, and transfer agent services with /mkt's athlete investment platform, supporting the full lifecycle of tokenized athlete-linked securities.
Through /mkt's platform, professional athletes can tokenize a portion of their future earnings into SEC-qualified securities offered under Regulation A+ (Tier 2), allowing both accredited and non-accredited retail investors to purchase fractional interests. tZERO's institutional-grade infrastructure powers the securities lifecycle from primary issuance through secondary trading on its SEC- and FINRA-regulated ATS, with ongoing custody and settlement on blockchain rails. Primary distribution will be conducted through Forwardslash Financial LLC, /mkt's broker-dealer subsidiary, pending FINRA membership approval.
Spencer Gareiss, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Blockchain Market, Inc., stated that the partnership provides the infrastructure backbone that makes /mkt possible, opening an entirely new market that is clearly regulated, blockchain-native, and designed for retail investors from day one. Alan Konevsky, Chief Executive Officer of tZERO Group, Inc., emphasized that the next phase of tokenization expands what can become investable within a regulated framework, applying tZERO's digital securities infrastructure to support innovative athlete-linked investments designed for investor participation.
The global sports industry generates over $500 billion annually, yet individual athlete earnings have remained inaccessible as an investable asset class. /mkt changes this dynamic 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 delivers benefits traditional securities cannot provide, including blockchain-based settlement for speed and transparency, fractional ownership for broad accessibility, and potential for 24/7 secondary market trading on tZERO's ATS during its operating hours of 12:05 am to 11:35 pm ET on days the ATS is open for business.
Under the agreement, tZERO will provide 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 across the full asset lifecycle. /mkt expects to launch its first athlete-linked securities offerings in 2026, with secondary market trading on tZERO's ATS to follow, though no offering has been qualified and no securities are currently available for purchase as the company prepares its Form 1-A filing with the SEC. For more information about tZERO, please visit https://www.tzero.com, and for /mkt details, visit https://www.sportsmkt.com.
