Inside tokenforge's plan for compliant web3
'When you build something real, as we do, in one hand you have the law book, and with the other hand you write code'
Buying real estate, issuing debt, or accessing private equity used to involve weeks of paperwork and expensive intermediaries. Now, thanks to tokenization, these processes can be executed in days. At the heart of this shift is a Hamburg-based infrastructure provider that’s helping reshape digital asset markets – not with hype, but with compliance.
tokenforge was born from hands-on experience. “We did a first project, did some smaller ICOs,” Co-founder and CEO Moritz Stumpf told The Crypto Radio. But it was during the pandemic that the vision sharpened: to build a secure, compliant platform for digital assets.
The result was Token Suite, a modular, API-first system that integrates identity verification, e-signatures, custody, payments, and other regulated services into a single framework.
Since 2021, tokenforge has launched more than 30 Token Suite instances across five EU jurisdictions, helping companies tokenize everything from bonds and equity to specialized real-world assets. All implementations are aligned with MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation), eWpG (Germany’s electronic securities law), MiFID II, and national laws – a feat few startups in the space can claim.
Why compliance is the competitive edge
Regulated by Germany’s BaFin, the company has built its infrastructure to fully comply with the EU’s MiCA framework from day one. “MiCA provides a legal frame in which we operate,” said Stumpf. “It gives legal certainty.”
He elaborated: “If you want to invest somewhere, you need legal certainty. I talk about big money… if you want to make sure that this investment is going to be secured under certain manners.”
Joko Weykopf, tokenforge's CMO, emphasized how regulation was never an afterthought. “One of the export goods of Germany is law,” he joked. “We built where it’s hardest.”
For tokenforge, building under scrutiny is what makes their product scalable across borders. “We have seen regulatory attendance on this,” said Stumpf. “We have seen that we get laws, or we are in preparation on European level, on international level, for legal implications.”
Weykopf added that this is about functionality, not just form. “Our goal is not just adoption, it’s standardization,” he said. “We want to turn complex processes into easy workflows that anyone can use.”
Designed to plug into the real world
tokenforge’s platform is designed with integration in mind. “We’re API-first,” said Stumpf. “We can integrate with existing client systems.”
This modular design allows institutions to tokenize assets like equity, debt, or utility instruments in less than five days, with no coding required. Clients select from a menu of functions – such as KYC, e-signatures, or payments – and connect seamlessly to regulated partners.
The team also tackles one of traditional finance’s key technical flaws: inconsistencies in ownership records caused by fragmented databases. By using blockchain to anchor transactions, the platform brings greater transparency and accuracy to asset tracking.
Who uses tokenforge today?
Already live in the EU, tokenforge is now exploring regulated tokenization in the U.S., Dubai, and Asia. Photo: Unsplash / Christian Lue
The company is already active in five countries, helping clients tokenize everything from bonds and shares to funds and niche assets. These include fintech startups and established institutions looking to modernize without overhauling their entire systems.
Discussions are also underway with potential partners in Portugal, the U.S., Dubai, and Asia. But its core focus remains Europe, where tokenforge aims to lead on compliant digital finance under MiCAR.
Tokenization isn’t just about fractions
Many players in the space reduce tokenization to slicing up assets, but tokenforge believes that’s just one aspect. “A lot of people are just about fractionalization – and that’s a small part,” said Weykopf. “It’s actually about building new connections, to connect assets in a smarter, more dynamic way.”
Stumpf added that web3 has a broader purpose. “Web3 is about trustworthiness through technical mechanisms,” he said.
They are also realistic about the limitations of tokenization. “It doesn’t make a bad asset good,” Weykopf warned. “If it has low demand, poor fundamentals, or unclear legal rights, putting it on the blockchain won’t solve that.”
The future of tokenized finance
After years of building infrastructure, tokenforge is preparing to launch its own token. “We prepared a lot technically and strategically,” said Stumpf. The launch follows the rollout of working infrastructure – not a promise, but a milestone.
Weykopf described the current stage of tokenization as early. “The wave is not even breaking,” he said. “It’s just building up.” He added, “We don’t have the fantasy to imagine now what will be possible in five years from now, because it’s just starting.”
That mindset – grounded yet forward-looking – also shapes how they work. “When you build something real, as we do, in one hand you have the law book, and with the other hand you write code,” said Weykopf.
By combining regulatory alignment with modular architecture, tokenforge isn’t just offering tools – it’s building a framework for how tokenized finance could work at scale. Whether helping digitize bond issuance or enabling startups to tokenize equity, the company is positioning itself as a behind-the-scenes enabler of compliant innovation.
