The tokenization timeline
The token takes minutes; the offering takes months. Here is what actually happens, month by month, in a typical private-company tokenization – and the five things that blow the schedule.
Month 0
You + the platform
Readiness & the record
Score readiness (free, ~5 minutes), then build the canonical record: ownership, valuation, cap table, governing agreements reconciled into one verified source of truth. Clean companies clear this in 2–4 weeks; messy records add months here – not later, here.
Months 1–2
Counsel + platform
Structure & counsel
Entity/SPV decisions, jurisdiction and exemption selection matched to the investor base, corporate approvals, banking feasibility confirmed before spend. Counsel drafts in parallel with platform setup.
Months 2–3
Platform specialists + counsel + broker-dealer
Offering preparation
Offering documents from the record, subscription flow, disclosures, broker-dealer onboarding where the exemption requires one, KYC/accreditation rails stood up. This is the long pole – and the part platforms either do, refer out, or silently skip.
Months 3–4
Broker-dealer + you
The raise window opens
Marketing per the exemption's rules (open under 506(c); gated elsewhere), investors verify once and subscribe; a typical structured window runs ~90 days. Token issuance can run in parallel for early closings.
Months 4–6
Platform + you
Close, issue, go live
Final closings, ERC-7943 tokens issued to verified wallets, the on-chain register becomes authoritative, funds settle (USDC or fiat). From here, operations: distributions, reporting, votes, transfer approvals.
What actually causes delays
A messy cap table or title
The #1 schedule-killer. Every unresolved SAFE, missing signature, or unreconciled valuation surfaces in diligence and stops the clock.
Banking
Accounts for issuing vehicles take longer than anyone budgets – confirm feasibility in month 0, not month 3.
Audits & appraisals
Independent valuation lead times run 4–8 weeks at reputable firms; order early.
Jurisdiction switches mid-flight
Changing venue after documents are drafted restarts months 1–3. Choose by investor base once, at the start.
Regulated-venue onboarding
Broker-dealer and transfer-agent onboarding have their own compliance clocks – start them in month 2, not after the raise.
The playbooks behind each phase: SPV structuring ·real estate ·company equity ·jurisdiction rules
Questions this raises
Answered plainly.
How long does tokenization take, realistically?
Three to six months end-to-end for a typical private-company deal: readiness and the verified record (month 0), structure and counsel (months 1–2), offering preparation and broker-dealer onboarding (months 2–3), a ~90-day raise window (months 3–4+), then closing and issuance. The token itself takes minutes; the offering takes the months. Claims of 'tokenize in days' describe minting, not raising.
What makes it faster?
One thing above all: arriving with a clean, reconciled record – ownership, valuation, cap table, agreements. That's why the process starts with a free readiness score rather than a contract. Reusing proven structures (standard SPV patterns, stacked Reg D + Reg S), confirming banking early, and ordering appraisals in month 0 each save weeks.
What usually causes delays?
In order of frequency: cap-table or title inconsistencies discovered in diligence, banking for the issuing vehicle, appraisal lead times, mid-flight jurisdiction changes, and underestimating broker-dealer onboarding. None are token problems – all are readiness problems, which is the entire thesis of starting with the record.
When do I start paying?
On the Stobox model: readiness scoring and the starter record are free; costs begin when you act – counsel engagement, a Raisable raise window (flat fee), and flat issuance fees at mint time ($499 asset mint / $749 contract deploy). Nothing is charged as a percentage of the raise at any point. Start month 0 free – score your readiness Typical ranges, not commitments – complexity, jurisdictions, and record quality move every schedule. Not legal advice; see Legal & disclosures .
