Blockchain Market, Inc. (d/b/a /mkt) and tZERO Group, Inc. announced a strategic partnership to launch a platform that will allow retail investors to purchase tokenized securities backed by professional athletes’ future earnings. The collaboration integrates tZERO’s regulated blockchain infrastructure, including its alternative trading system (ATS), custody and settlement services, and transfer agent capabilities, with /mkt’s athlete investment platform. Primary distribution of the Regulation A+ offerings will be conducted through Forwardslash Financial LLC, /mkt’s broker-dealer subsidiary, pending FINRA membership approval.
Under the partnership, /mkt will tokenize a portion of professional athletes’ future earnings into SEC-qualified securities 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 infrastructure will support the full securities lifecycle, from primary issuance and investor onboarding to secondary trading on its regulated ATS, 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.”
Alan Konevsky, Chief Executive Officer of tZERO Group, Inc., added, “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, but individual athlete earnings have remained inaccessible as an investable asset class. /mkt aims to change 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 through tZERO’s regulated marketplace. The tokenized structure offers benefits such as blockchain-based settlement for speed and transparency, fractional ownership for broad accessibility, and potential 24/7 secondary market trading on tZERO’s ATS.
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 its wallet infrastructure, transfer agent services for cap table management, and ongoing compliance support including AML/KYC and suitability checks.
/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 its offering statement on Form 1-A with the SEC. No offering has been qualified and no securities are currently available for purchase.
