Patrick Soon-Shiong Announced Plans for Tokenized Stocks
Nant aims to leverage a SEC Innovation Exemption to launch a blockchain-enabled platform for trading U.S. securities.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Biotech
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Patrick Soon-Shiong has announced plans to incorporate blockchain-based trading for U.S.-listed stocks through Nant Global Finance. This initiative follows the SEC's creation of a five-year Innovation Exemption that permits the trading of tokenized securities.
Why it matters
The development represents a shift in capital-market architecture, utilizing regulatory carve-outs to integrate blockchain settlement into traditional equity trading. It follows a significant period of market movement for ImmunityBio, which has seen its share price grow 328% year-to-date.
Nant is building a stack comprising broker-dealer, transfer-agent, exchange, and blockchain-settlement capabilities. Under current SEC Innovation Exemption rules, any platform utilizing third-party tokens must provide formal notification to the issuing company 30 days prior to listing.
The players
Patrick Soon-Shiong
A biotechnology entrepreneur and investor who owns 745.5 million shares of ImmunityBio.
Nant Global Finance
A financial infrastructure firm assembling brokerage, exchange, and blockchain-settlement capabilities.
ImmunityBio
A biopharmaceutical company focused on immunotherapy treatments with a significant retail trading presence.
PDS Biotechnology
A clinical-stage immunotherapy company that received investment from Nant Capital in September 2026.
The details
The platform functions by integrating blockchain protocols into traditional exchange infrastructure to enable the settlement of tokenized securities. Nant is acquiring the necessary components, including a broker-dealer—a firm that trades securities for its own account or on behalf of customers—and a transfer-agent, which maintains records of share ownership. By utilizing the five-year SEC Innovation Exemption, the firm intends to streamline the exchange process, though specific technical configurations for the settlement layer remain under development.
Timeline
January 2026: Nant Global Finance announced its capital-markets platform.
April 2026: Proxy record date for ImmunityBio ownership confirmed Patrick Soon-Shiong's 65.5% stake.
September 2026: Nant Capital led a $22.3 million private placement for PDS Biotechnology.
September 20, 2026: Patrick Soon-Shiong announced the blockchain strategy on X.
The Tech Race
This move marks a departure from traditional exchange models, positioning Nant to capitalize on the SEC's five-year Innovation Exemption for tokenized assets. The firm is actively assembling a comprehensive suite of market services to challenge existing settlement architectures.
Investors should watch for the required 30-day notice periods for any security Nant lists on its platform. While current functionality remains in the acquisition phase, retail traders may soon gain access to tokenized versions of existing equity holdings.
The takeaway
The pivot toward tokenization reflects an industry-wide interest in utilizing regulatory exemptions to modernize legacy settlement systems. Watch for the first official listings on the platform to determine how the 30-day notification mandate impacts the speed of token adoption.
What happens next
Retail traders and market analysts are monitoring for the launch of tokenized IBRX, which industry speculation suggests could occur within six to eight weeks of the announcement.
Further reading
For broader trends in the industry, see our Biotech section.
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