First Block: Timing the Market and Merging TradFi with Crypto Wrapped with AI

In finance, timing isn’t just important—it’s everything. Few firms embody this truth as clearly as First Block, Inc., a company at the nexus of traditional finance (TradFi) and next-generation blockchain infrastructure.

With over four decades of Wall Street experience combined with more than a decade of blockchain and crypto innovation, First Block has positioned itself at the right place and the right time: a market moment when real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is moving from concept to inevitability.

Market Timing: The $16 Trillion Shift

Global private markets—worth more than $274 trillion—remain plagued by illiquidity, long settlement cycles, and costly intermediaries. By converting traditionally illiquid assets such as real estate, private equity, and fund interests into digital representations that can be securely traded and fractionalized under regulated frameworks.

Analysts project that over $16 trillion in assets will be tokenized by 2030, with private equity, funds, bonds, and real estate leading the way. Already, leading players like J.P. Morgan (JPM), Robinhood (HOOD), and Mercado Bitcoin have initiated tokenization programs, while regulators from the SEC to global standard-setters have begun openly embracing digital securities.

What makes this shift inevitable is not only the efficiency tokenization brings but also the rise of Hybrid IPOs. In a landmark example, Figma tokenized 20% of its recent IPO, signaling that the future of public offerings will increasingly merge traditional listings with blockchain-enabled fractional ownership. This dual-track model provides issuers with new distribution channels while giving investors faster, more global access to liquidity.

First Block’s timing is impeccable. The company is executing a phased launch of a fully compliant U.S. platform, anchored in broker-dealer and ATS acquisition, with a regulatory-first architecture designed to institutionalize tokenized trading.

Breadth of Services: From Tokenization to Stablecoin Rails

First Block offers more than just tokenization. Its universal framework for real-world assets is backed by smart contracts, liquidity pool design, and institutional custody. This positions the firm as a full-stack infrastructure provider—covering issuance, custody, compliance, and secondary trading.

By embracing Security Token Offerings (STOs), Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), and Hybrid IPO/STO structures, First Block is preparing clients for a world where tokenization becomes the default path to liquidity. Whether a private fund looking for secondary markets, a high-growth tech company exploring a partially tokenized IPO, or a global investor seeking fractionalized access, the platform is designed to serve every layer of the emerging capital stack.

Beyond securities, First Block is pioneering stablecoin integration in the wake of the GENIUS Act, the most sweeping U.S. financial reform since Dodd-Frank. With stablecoins now federally regulated and elevated as a new payment rail, First Block advises financial institutions on how to adapt, integrate, and thrive in the post-GENIUS Act era.

Competing Where Giants Can’t

The largest players in tech and finance—Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), Bank of America (BAC), and J.P. Morgan (JPM)—are spending billions to build their blockchain and AI strategies. But here’s the truth:

    •    Too Slow: Legacy banks like BAC and JPM remain buried under regulatory red tape and outdated infrastructure. They can experiment at the edges, but they cannot transform their core businesses without cannibalizing themselves. First Block, unencumbered by legacy systems, is building next-generation rails from the ground up.

    •    Too Broad: Tech giants like GOOGL, META, and MSFT chase every vertical—advertising, cloud, social, gaming, enterprise. Their blockchain and tokenization initiatives are side projects, not mission-critical priorities. First Block lives and breathes one mission: transforming capital markets with tokenization, stablecoin rails, and AI-driven infrastructure.

    •    Too Bureaucratic: For every initiative that moves forward at a mega-cap, dozens die in committee. First Block moves with the speed of a startup and the expertise of a Wall Street veteran team, seizing opportunities the giants are structurally unable to pursue.

First Block does not just cooperate with these giants—it competes aggressively where they cannot move fast enough or deep enough. And in capital markets, speed and focus matter more than scale.

As the digital asset landscape matures, tokenization has moved from theory to execution. Institutional-grade platforms like First Block are bridging the regulatory and technological divide by combining broker-dealer rigor with blockchain-native efficiency.

Leadership: Experience Meets Innovation

At the helm is Daniel P. Cannon, Founder and CEO of First Block. Cannon is a veteran investment banker with four decades of Wall Street experience, including advising international banks, consulting with the SEC on digital asset regulation, and building trusted relationships at the highest levels of government and industry—including contacts within the Trump Administration.

Beyond the boardroom, Cannon is a respected educator. He currently teaches Investment Banking, Blockchain & Crypto, and Artificial Intelligence courses at Auburn University, bringing real-world expertise into the classroom and cultivating the next generation of financial innovators.

Leading the technology vision is Ramon Stoffel, Chief Technology Officer, whose background spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain innovation. After earning his degree in AI & Machine Learning, Stoffel founded and successfully exited an AI startup, gaining hands-on experience in building innovative products. Today, he advises payment providers on integrating crypto solutions and supports insurance companies in leveraging AI to drive efficiency and innovation. With a mix of deep technical expertise, entrepreneurial experience, and strategic insight, Stoffel brings a forward-thinking approach to the intersection of finance, crypto, and emerging technologies.

Together, the leadership team’s blend of Wall Street heritage and AI innovation positions First Block as a foundational player in the tokenized asset economy.

The Future of Finance

First Block’s vision is clear: a world where every stock, bond, fund, and real asset can be tokenized, traded, and settled in real time. By merging the discipline of Wall Street with the innovation of blockchain, First Block is creating the infrastructure for liquid, compliant, and borderless capital markets.

The inevitability of tokenization—across RWAs, STOs, ICOs, and Hybrid IPOs—marks the beginning of a new era. Just as the Stone Age didn’t end because we ran out of stones, the banking age won’t survive simply because it’s “too big to fail.”

Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, BAC, and JPM will talk about the future. First Block is building it.

For more information go to www.firstblock.ai or you can reach their Founder Daniel Cannon via email, [email protected] or SMS, +1 (917) 471-1232

Disclaimer: Nothing in this email should be construed as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. This message is provided solely for informational purposes. Recipients should seek advice from their own financial, legal, or tax advisors before acting on any information contained herein.