Digital Asset Finance

Figure Technology Solutions, a blockchain-based lending platform, has filed for a Nasdaq IPO after posting a 22% revenue surge in the first half of 2025, signaling continued institutional momentum in digital asset finance. The New York company disclosed its registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, planning to trade under the ticker “FIGR” with Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Bank of America Securities serving as lead underwriters.

Strong Financial Performance Drives Public Market Entry

Figure reported $191 million in revenue for the six-month period ending June 30, representing a substantial increase from the prior year. More significantly, the company returned to profitability with a $29 million net gain, a sharp reversal from a $13 million loss during the same period in 2024.

Since its founding in 2018, Figure has originated more than $16 billion in home equity loans through its blockchain infrastructure. The company’s financial turnaround reflects growing institutional and retail demand for blockchain-enabled lending products and tokenized financial services.

Tokenization as a Market Strategy

Figure’s core thesis centers on using blockchain technology to unlock liquidity in traditionally illiquid markets. The platform tokenizes assets—converting loans and other financial instruments into digital representations—to reduce intermediary costs and broaden investor access.

Figure’s blockchain platform allows the company to introduce liquidity to traditionally illiquid markets, reducing costs and expanding access to financial products through asset tokenization.

— Figure Technology, SEC Filing

This approach directly addresses a long-standing inefficiency in financial markets. By removing intermediaries and enabling direct settlement, blockchain infrastructure can theoretically lower borrowing costs for consumers while improving returns for lenders. Smart contract platforms have made this infrastructure increasingly practical at scale.

The home equity lending market, Figure’s primary focus, represents approximately $1.2 trillion in outstanding balances across the United States. Traditional origination processes involve multiple intermediaries—mortgage brokers, underwriters, appraisers, title companies—each adding cost and processing time. Figure’s approach consolidates these functions on a single blockchain-enabled platform, potentially reducing loan origination timelines from 30-45 days to under two weeks while lowering costs by 20-30 basis points.

This efficiency advantage has attracted institutional capital. Figure announced in its IPO filing that institutional investors now represent approximately 65% of its lending volume, up from 40% two years prior. This shift reflects growing confidence from pension funds, insurance companies, and other large capital allocators in blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

Crypto Companies Accelerate Public Market Access

Figure’s IPO filing arrives amid a notable wave of digital asset companies pursuing listings. Circle, operator of the widely-used USDC stablecoin, completed one of the largest crypto-industry stock offerings in January 2025. Last week, the Winklevoss twins’ Gemini exchange filed for a New York IPO, further validating public market interest in blockchain enterprises.

Market observers anticipate additional filings from infrastructure providers, tokenization platforms, and other blockchain-adjacent businesses in coming months. The momentum reflects a confluence of improving financial results and shifting regulatory sentiment. Data from Renaissance Capital indicates that blockchain and digital asset companies represent approximately 8% of all IPO filings in 2025, compared to less than 2% historically.

Josef Schuster, founder of IPOX, characterized cryptocurrency as “one of the main pillars of the IPO market” while noting that several companies are also exploring de-SPAC mergers as faster alternatives to traditional IPO processes. Recent developments suggest investor appetite extends beyond fintech to infrastructure and trading venues.

Crypto has become one of the main pillars of the IPO market, with companies pursuing both traditional listings and de-SPAC mergers to access capital markets.

— Josef Schuster, Founder, IPOX

The acceleration in public market access has important implications for the broader blockchain ecosystem. Public market listings provide liquidity for early-stage investors and employees, establish transparent valuation methodologies, and create regulatory clarity that benefits the entire sector. Companies that successfully navigate the IPO process tend to attract top talent, institutional partnerships, and expanded distribution channels.

Regulatory Climate Shifts in Favor of Digital Assets

A fundamental driver of this IPO activity is the changing regulatory environment. Trump administration officials have adopted a more accommodative stance toward digital assets and blockchain innovation compared to prior government positions. This shift has reduced regulatory uncertainty that previously deterred public company listings.

Traditional financial institutions, once hesitant to engage with crypto companies, now actively participate in digital asset financing. Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Bank of America Securities—all underwriters on Figure’s offering—have substantially expanded their blockchain-related service offerings. This institutional embrace represents a notable departure from the industry skepticism of prior years.

The regulatory clarity extends beyond banking partnerships. The SEC’s approach to blockchain companies has evolved from enforcement-focused to framework-oriented. Rather than blocking listings outright, regulators now engage constructively with companies to ensure compliance with existing securities law. This pragmatic regulatory posture has shortened IPO timelines and reduced legal costs for blockchain enterprises.

The opening of traditional investment banking to crypto enterprises has practical implications. It provides digital asset companies with legitimate channels to raise capital, improves valuation methodologies, and potentially attracts institutional investors who previously avoided the sector. Bitcoin and broader digital assets benefit from this institutional acceptance even as individual companies pursue public listings. When legacy financial institutions validate blockchain infrastructure through underwriting relationships, it signals reduced systemic risk and increased confidence in the underlying technology’s utility.

Long-Term Implications for Valuation and Investment

Analysts suggest this wave of crypto company IPOs will establish new benchmarks for how investors value blockchain enterprises. Trading comparables from companies like Circle and Figure will inform future fundraising rounds, M&A transactions, and capital allocation decisions across the sector. Initial public offerings create transparent pricing mechanisms that private market investors previously lacked.

Equity research coverage from major investment banks will accompany these public listings, introducing blockchain companies to millions of retail and institutional investors who lack direct cryptocurrency exposure. This democratization of access could drive substantial capital inflows into the sector, particularly if public company performance validates the underlying business models.

The IPO pipeline also indicates where private capital believes growth opportunities exist within blockchain. Lending platforms, stablecoins, exchanges, and tokenization infrastructure are attracting the most public market interest, suggesting investor confidence in these specific use cases. Infrastructure projects that lack direct revenue streams or clear monetization paths face significantly higher barriers to public market access, creating a natural selection mechanism for mature, profitable blockchain businesses.

Figure’s filing positions the company to capitalize on demonstrated market demand while the IPO window remains open. The combination of improving fundamentals, regulatory tailwinds, and institutional appetite creates favorable timing for the company’s public debut. Success of this offering could accelerate subsequent blockchain company IPOs and establish lasting legitimacy for digital asset finance within traditional capital markets.