tokenize

verb

to·​ken·​ize ˈtō-kə-ˌnīz 

tokenized; tokenizing; tokenizes

transitive verb

1

: to convert (something) into units of a cryptocurrency

… preparing to tokenize its real estate holdings to provide investors with collateral and liquidity in secondary markets …

—Parshwa Turakhiya

… explained that the advantages of tokenizing tradable assets, such as stocks, are becoming more evident …

—Collins J. Okoth

2

: to include (someone) in a group as part of a symbolic effort especially to increase diversity (see diversity sense 2) : to treat (someone) as a token (see token entry 1 sense 5)

… at times she has felt tokenized when she was called in for certain casting opportunities. But working with … a company in which the leaders, directors, designers, crew, and many actors are women, has been different.

—Christine Dolen

… if ethnic studies programs do not open their intellectual doors, the promise of intellectual equality becomes merely an illusion in the academy and we will continue to tokenize our scholars.

—Adela de la Torre

Examples of tokenize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Trading platforms should notify the company of their intention to tokenize the shares and wait 30 days after the company receives the notice to start trading the token, according to an SEC spokesperson. — Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Now, something similar is playing out in the brokerage industry as a result of another disruptive technology—blockchain—that is leading a growing number of companies to tokenize stocks. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

The company also focuses on tokenizing real-world assets like bonds and real estate for agent trading. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

However, an agentic model that makes tool calls must parse and tokenize the results of the call. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

token entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined at sense 2