Republic to Tokenize Shares of SpaceX, OpenAI to Open Private Markets to Retail Investors
Investment platform Republic is taking a bold step toward democratizing access to high-profile private companies like SpaceX and OpenAI. According to The Wall Street Journal, the firm plans to tokenize economic interests in shares of these companies, enabling everyday investors to gain exposure to assets that have traditionally been out of reach.
Under the plan, Republic will acquire actual shares in companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic. It will then issue blockchain-based digital assets that mirror the financial performance of those holdings. While holders of these tokens won’t be legal shareholders and won’t have voting rights or direct ownership, they’ll effectively gain a stake in the upside of these high-growth firms.
The effort taps into a long-standing goal in the crypto space: bringing traditional assets like equities onchain. While regulatory challenges have slowed progress, Republic says it is leveraging provisions from the 2012 Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act. This U.S. law allows companies to raise up to $5 million annually from retail investors under simplified securities rules.
With buy-in starting as low as $50—and capped at $5,000—Republic's offering significantly lowers the entry barrier compared to the usual $10,000 to $100,000 minimums for investing in private firms. Token holders who maintain their positions for at least a year will also have the option to trade them on crypto platform INX. Republic recently struck a deal to acquire INX Digital for up to $60 million, bolstering its footprint in the security token and real-world asset markets.
As of now, it’s unclear how SpaceX and other companies will respond to the tokenization of their shares. While they are not directly involved in the offering, Republic’s model does not require their participation. SpaceX, notably, has had prior involvement in crypto. In 2021, Elon Musk confirmed the company had purchased Bitcoin, and blockchain analytics firm Arkham estimates it still holds 8,285 BTC—worth roughly $894 million as of June 25.
Republic’s initiative could mark a turning point for retail investing, blending blockchain with private equity in a way that expands access without breaking regulatory lines. If successful, it may pave the way for a broader shift in how the public participates in the growth of elite tech firms.