Public Company's $IP Token Reserve Signals New Era for Programmable IP Economy

Crypto.com (CRO) has entered a strategic partnership with IP Strategy (Nasdaq: IPST), marking the first time a publicly traded company has adopted $IP tokens as its primary reserve asset. Under the agreement, Crypto.com will provide custody, trading, and staking services for IP Strategy's treasury of 52.5 million $IP tokens, valued at over $230 million, according to a StockTitan report. This collaboration follows IP Strategy's August 2025 private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing and underscores growing institutional interest in tokenized intellectual property (IP) as a strategic asset class.

The partnership positions IP Strategy at the forefront of a nascent market, offering public market investors regulated exposure to the $80 trillion programmable IP economy, as reported by Investing.com. IP Strategy, which operates under the registered name Heritage Distilling Holding Company, Inc., will leverage Crypto.com's institutional-grade infrastructure to secure its $IP holdings, execute over-the-counter trades, and generate yield through staking. The arrangement also includes validator operations for the Story Protocol, a blockchain network designed to tokenize and monetize IP rights, according to a GlobeNewswire release.

Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com, emphasized the importance of secure, scalable infrastructure for institutional adoption of digital assets. "As companies integrate digital assets into their treasury strategies, access to robust execution and custody solutions becomes critical," he stated, in the StockTitan report. SY Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Story, the AI-native blockchain powering $IP tokens, described the partnership as a milestone in unlocking IP's value. "This is the beginning of a new era where IP becomes a productive, investable asset class with real-world utility," Lee said, in the GlobeNewswire release.

The $IP token, which operates on Story's blockchain, is backed by $136 million in funding from a16z crypto, Polychain Capital, and Samsung Ventures, as noted in the StockTitan report. Story's platform enables creators and enterprises to register, license, and monetize IP on-chain, embedding rights into digital assets and automating licensing workflows. IP Strategy's treasury strategy combines traditional validator operations with digital asset holdings, reflecting broader industry trends toward hybrid treasury management.

However, the partnership carries risks tied to operational execution. Successful onboarding of custody services, sustained liquidity for large trades, and reliable staking operations are critical to maintaining the fungibility and value of IP Strategy's reserves. Market participants will closely watch disclosures around custody insurance, staking terms, and counterparty agreements in the coming months.

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