KEYTAKEAWAYS
- Revolutionary Cost Reduction: Figma's on-chain IPO slashes traditional underwriting fees from 3-7% to under 1%, saving tens of millions in fundraising costs.
- 24/7 Global Liquidity: Tokenized stocks enable continuous trading worldwide, eliminating geographical restrictions and providing superior liquidity compared to traditional stock markets.
- RWA Sector Catalyst: As the first major enterprise on-chain IPO, Figma's move validates blockchain finance and opens trillion-dollar tokenization opportunities.
CONTENT
Figma announces world’s first on-chain IPO with tokenized stocks, revolutionizing traditional finance. Explore how blockchain technology transforms corporate fundraising and RWA sector opportunities.
When traditional IPOs meet blockchain technology, a financial revolution is quietly brewing.
Just as everyone is still discussing when Web3 will truly change the world, design tool giant Figma quietly dropped a bombshell—announcing the world’s first on-chain IPO through blockchain-based tokenized stock issuance. This move not only has the potential to redefine traditional IPO processes but will also bring unprecedented breakthroughs to the entire RWA (Real World Assets) sector.
ON-CHAIN IPO: DISRUPTIVE FINANCIAL INNOVATION
Traditional IPO processes are complex and lengthy, often requiring months or even years of preparation, involving numerous intermediaries such as investment banks, lawyers, and accountants, resulting in high costs and extremely high barriers to entry. Figma’s on-chain IPO model will completely transform this status quo.
Through blockchain technology, Figma’s stock will exist in token form, allowing investors to trade 24/7 without waiting for traditional exchange opening hours. More importantly, this model dramatically lowers investment thresholds, enabling more ordinary investors to participate in early-stage investments in quality enterprises.
Blockchain’s transparency also provides investors with unprecedented information transparency. All transaction records will be permanently stored on-chain and verifiable by anyone, fundamentally solving the information asymmetry problem in traditional stock markets.
WHY FIGMA CHOSE ON-CHAIN IPO
About Figma
Figma, founded in 2012 by Dylan Field and Evan Wallace, has revolutionized the design industry with its browser-based collaborative design platform. The company transformed how design teams work by enabling real-time collaboration, eliminating the need for file versioning and complex handoffs between designers and developers.
Key Company Metrics:
- Valuation: $20 billion (Adobe acquisition attempt, later canceled due to regulatory concerns)
- User Base: Over 4 million paying users globally
- Market Position: Dominant player in design collaboration tools with 67% market share
- Revenue Growth: Consistently achieving 50%+ annual growth
- Corporate Clients: Netflix, Airbnb, Microsoft, and thousands of other major enterprises
Strategic Advantages: Figma’s platform creates powerful network effects—the more team members use Figma, the more valuable it becomes. This has resulted in exceptionally high user retention rates and low churn, making it one of the stickiest SaaS products in the market.
As a star enterprise once targeted for a $20 billion acquisition by Adobe (later canceled due to regulatory reasons), Figma holds absolute leadership in the design tools sector. Choosing on-chain IPO reflects this company’s consistent pursuit of innovation.
Cost Efficiency Revolution
First, on-chain IPO can dramatically reduce issuance costs. Traditional IPO underwriting fees typically account for 3-7% of fundraising amounts, while on-chain IPOs can reduce this ratio to below 1%. For Figma planning large-scale fundraising, this means tens of millions of dollars in cost savings.
Enhanced Liquidity
Second, tokenized stocks provide better liquidity. Traditional stock trading is subject to geographical, temporal, and regulatory restrictions, while tokenized stocks can trade globally 24/7, providing investors with better exit mechanisms.
Community Building
Finally, this innovative model helps Figma build tighter user communities. Through holding tokenized stocks, users become not just product users but true company shareholders, enhancing user engagement and significantly strengthening user loyalty.
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF TOKENIZED STOCKS
Figma’s tokenized stocks will adopt Security Token standards that comply with regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance while maintaining technical innovation. Each token will represent a certain proportion of Figma company equity, with holders enjoying corresponding dividend rights and voting rights.
Smart contracts will automatically execute functions such as dividend distribution and vote counting, dramatically improving operational efficiency. Meanwhile, through multi-signature and time-lock security mechanisms, the safety of funds and governance is ensured.
To meet regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions, Figma will also implement KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) procedures, ensuring only qualified investors can participate in trading.
PROFOUND IMPACT ON THE RWA SECTOR
Figma’s on-chain IPO case will bring milestone significance to the RWA sector. As the global first, it will provide a referenceable template and experience for subsequent enterprises, driving more quality companies to choose on-chain issuance.
This innovation will also attract more traditional financial institutions to focus on blockchain technology. When seeing renowned enterprises like Figma successfully implement on-chain IPOs, more investment banks, funds, and regulatory institutions will accelerate embracing this new model.
From a market scale perspective, the global stock market is valued at over $100 trillion. If even just 1% transitions to tokenization, it would bring trillion-level market space to the RWA sector.
HOW SHOULD INVESTORS PREPARE
For ordinary investors, Figma’s on-chain IPO provides a rare opportunity to participate in quality enterprise investment. However, thorough preparation is needed before investing:
First, understand the basic concepts and risks of tokenized stocks. Although underlying assets are traditional equity, token form brings new technical and regulatory risks.
Second, choose reliable trading platforms. Ensure platforms have appropriate compliance qualifications and security safeguards.
Finally, practice proper asset allocation. Tokenized stocks still belong to high-risk investments; reasonable control of investment proportions is recommended.
FUTURE OUTLOOK
Figma’s on-chain IPO is just the beginning; we may see more renowned enterprises follow suit in the future. From startups to mature enterprises, from stocks to bonds, tokenization will gradually penetrate all areas of traditional finance.
This is not only a technical innovation but also an important step toward financial democratization. When investment thresholds are lowered, information becomes more transparent, and trading becomes more convenient, financial markets will truly achieve inclusive access.
As regulatory frameworks improve and technology matures, on-chain IPOs are expected to become standard choices for corporate financing. Those enterprises and investors who embrace this trend early will gain first-mover advantages in this financial revolution.
Figma’s on-chain IPO is not only a business experiment but also a declaration to the world: blockchain technology is ready to change the rules of traditional finance. The curtain on this revolution has just been raised, and we are all witnesses and participants in this historic moment.
