Sterling Bancorp announced a strategic investment in Texture Capital Holdings Corp., which through its wholly-owned subsidiary Texture Capital, Inc. operates an SEC registered broker dealer and Alternative Trading System (“ATS”). Texture supports both the issuance of private placement digital securities and an electronic marketplace for institutional participants to efficiently trade in private securities markets.

Digital asset securities are recorded using a blockchain ledger and provide issuers with improved control and better recordkeeping costs. Texture has built a compliant, blockchain-enabled marketplace that supports the needs of institutional investors while enhancing liquidity in the private securities market.

“We are excited to partner with Texture, a company that is leveraging cutting edge technology to remove friction in the private capital markets and to develop a platform that will drive further innovation in the capital markets,” said Bea Ordonez, Chief Financial Officer at Sterling Bancorp. “We continue to engage with financial technology companies that are focused on innovation and that will provide further opportunity for us to grow our digital offerings, including our Banking as a Service business.”

“As Texture pursues market structure improvements in the issuance and trading of private securities, we are identifying strong and visionary partners willing to play a leadership role in an evolving market,” said Richard Johnson, CEO of Texture Capital. “Sterling Bancorp enjoys both a key position in the financial industry and an executive team preparing for the digital future. We are delighted about the opportunities that lie ahead in our partnership.”