Sails.to vs. the market
See how Sails CrossSecurities stack up against traditional issuance platforms, tokenization SaaS, and crowdfunding sites. We believe in sovereign infrastructure: you control the asset, the costs are success-based, and the security can move freely between on-chain and bankable worlds.
The Competitor Matrix
A transparent comparison of functionality, legal structure, and cost for professional issuance (Reg D / Reg S).
| Metric | Sails.to | Securitize | Tokeny | Bitbond | ADDX | Obligate | Wefunder | Sygnum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Model | Sovereign Infrastructure | Transfer Agent / ATS | Tech Provider (SaaS) | White-Label SaaS | Private Exchange | On-Chain Bond Platform | Retail Crowdfunding | Digital Asset Bank |
| Legal Structure | Wyoming DAO Series LLC Issuer controlled, Trustee oversight | Corp / Statutory Trust | Bring Your Own Issuer hires counsel | Bring Your Own Issuer hires counsel | Platform SPV | Swiss DLT eNotes | Crowdfunding SPV Platform managed | Bank Custody |
| Issuance Isolation | Firewalled Series Segregated liability per offering | Master Record Centralized | Smart Contract Only | Smart Contract Only | Pooled Vehicle | Ledger-Based Security | Pooled Vehicle | Nominee Account |
| Governance | Trustee + DAO Fiduciary oversight included | Transfer Agent | Issuer Managed | Issuer Managed | Exchange Managed | Arbitrator | Lead Investor | Bank Managed |
| Asset Types | Hybrid Equity, Bonds, Coupons, Revenue Share | Equity / Fund | All (Protocol) | All (Protocol) | Fund / PE | Debt Only | SAFE / Equity | Banking Products |
| Target Audience | Pro / Accredited Reg D / Reg S | Institutional / Enterprise | Institutional / Banks | DIY / Enterprise | Accredited (Asia) | Corp Borrowers | Retail (Reg CF) | HNW / Family Office |
| Upfront Cost | $0 Success-based | $20k–$50k+ | Setup fees | SaaS | S$20k+ | Platform fee | $0 | High |
| Success Fee | 1%–6% 1% direct · 6% broker network | Variable + monthly SaaS | SaaS monthly | None SaaS model | Listing + Rev Share | Platform spreads | ~7.5% | Custody / Setup |
| Annual Fee | 1% Trust & admin | ~$24k/yr SaaS | SaaS fees | None | S$35k+/yr Listing maintenance | None | Admin fee | ~0.6%/yr Custody |
| Tech Stack | Solana + Melusina OS | Polymesh / Avalanche | Ethereum / Polygon | EVM Compatible | Private Blockchain | Polygon | Web2 (Database) | Private Ledger |
| TradFi Bridge | CrossConversion™ Bidirectional: On-Chain ↔ ISIN | Transfer Agent Managed | None Issuer must solve | None Issuer must solve | Closed System | None Paying Agent required | N/A Retail only | Internal Bank Book |
| Custody | Self-Custody or Clearstream | Platform / Transfer Agent | Investor Self-Custody | Self-Custody | Platform Custody | Self-Custody | Platform Custody | Bank Custody ~0.5%+ p.a. |
| Liquidity | Cross-Broker OTC Atomic settlement on Solana | Securitize Markets Centralized ATS | Bilateral / Bulletin Board | P2P Only | Internal Exchange | Secondary Marketplace | Secondary (Rare) Illiquid | Internal Clients Only |
| Investor Data | Issuer Owned Encrypted in Pearl | Platform Owned | Issuer Owned BYO interface | Issuer Owned BYO interface | Platform Owned | Platform Owned | Platform Owned | Bank Managed |
The Nuanced Differences
Beyond the feature matrix, the real differences lie in who controls the legal entity, how the banking bridge works, how liquidity is generated, and how costs are aligned with your success.
The "Trust & DAO" Advantage
Most platforms are purely software (SaaS) or purely marketplaces. Sails.to is an infrastructure hybrid that wraps every issuance in a legal entity with fiduciary oversight.
Every issuance is wrapped in a Wyoming DAO Series LLC with a professional Trustee appointed. The Trustee holds the Security Deposit (3%) and audits smart contract distributions. You get the legal shield of an LLC and the fiduciary protection of a Trust—without hiring separate law firms. Each offering is a firewalled "Series" with its own segregated assets and liabilities. You own the Series.
Excellent technology providers, but they are software only. You must pay lawyers ($30k+) to structure your SPV and hire a separate Paying Agent to manage bank transfers. There is no built-in governance or fiduciary layer.
Acts as a Transfer Agent maintaining the "master record" of ownership. This works well for public companies (Reg A+), but for private raises it adds administrative heaviness and ongoing compliance costs that a DAO structure automates.
Creates a Crowdfunding SPV to aggregate retail investors. However, Wefunder manages the SPV. You cannot easily take it to another platform. It is great for managing thousands of small checks, but unnecessary overhead for professional raises.
The "TradFi Bridge" — CrossConversion
The biggest friction in tokenization is forcing investors to choose sides: "Crypto Native" or "Bank Account." How do you get a blockchain token into a traditional brokerage account at Goldman Sachs or UBS?
The asset is natively on-chain (Solana). When an investor wants to hold it in a bank, the token is "locked" in the Series, and a mirror ISIN global security is issued via Clearstream. The bridge is bidirectional (0.75% fee). This opens your raise to traditional family offices who cannot hold private keys. Sails.to has this banking rail pre-integrated.
Often use a "Digital Twin" or "eNote" approach. While legally robust, moving these assets out of their ecosystem into a generic brokerage account usually requires complex manual coordination with a Transfer Agent or Paying Agent.
Walled Gardens. You can only trade the asset if you are a client of ADDX or Sygnum. You cannot withdraw the asset to a third-party broker. Your security lives and dies inside their platform.
They provide the token standards (ERC-3643), but you (the issuer) must establish the relationship with the CSD (Central Securities Depository) and Paying Agent to make it bankable.
Liquidity — "Atomic OTC" vs. Centralized ATS
Secondary market liquidity is critical for investors. The question is: must everyone trade on one platform, or can brokers trade directly?
Because settlement is atomic (instant) on Solana, brokers can trade your security directly with each other without a central exchange. This reduces friction and listing fees. Multiple brokers, one settlement layer.
They operate an ATS (Alternative Trading System) or Private Exchange. You must "list" on their specific market. Liquidity is limited to the investors on that specific platform.
Uses the DINO (Distribution Network) standard, which is similar in philosophy (interoperable), but currently lacks the integrated settlement network that Sails offers via its broker partners.
Retail investors hold a "crowdfunding interest" in a generic SPV. These are generally illiquid and cannot be transferred to a standard brokerage account or traded OTC.
Cost Alignment — Success-Based vs. Retainer
We align our incentives with yours. We only get paid when you successfully raise capital.
$0 upfront. Fees are deducted only on funded capital: 6% for general distribution or 1% if you bring your own investors. If you miss your Soft Cap, investors get a full refund and you owe nothing. A 1% annual fee covers Trust & admin. No hidden charges.
Significant upfront fees ($20k–$50k+ or S$20k+) regardless of whether you raise a single dollar. Plus ongoing monthly SaaS or annual listing fees ($24k+/yr). Sygnum charges ~0.6% per year on asset value just for custody—even if the asset sits idle.
Similar no-upfront model, but charges higher fees (~7.5%) and focuses on small checks ($100) rather than professional ticket sizes ($50k+).
You pay Integration Fees ($5k–$50k) and Monthly SaaS ($500–$2,000/mo) regardless of whether you sell a single token. Plus the external legal costs ($15k–$30k) to structure your own entity.
Asset Flexibility — Coupons & Profit Participation
Not every raise is simple equity. Professional investors often want yield-bearing instruments with defined payout schedules.
Smart contracts natively support Coupons (fixed interest), Profit Participation (variable dividends), and Waterfall distributions that prioritize senior debt before equity holders—automatically.
Specialized strictly for Debt/Bonds. They use a Swiss "eNote" structure which is efficient for simple corporate debt but lacks flexibility for revenue-share models or tokenized equity.
Primarily uses the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity). Standard for early-stage startups but poor for asset-backed projects (like real estate or fleets) that need regular yield payments.
Investor Ownership & Data
Who owns the investor relationship after the raise?
You do. Investor data and KYC records are encrypted in your Series' "Pearl" (data container). Sails does not monetize your investor list. You own the relationship.
They "own" the investor. Your offering is just one product on their shelf. They control the communication channel and cross-sell other products to your investors.
You own the data, but you have to build the interface and compliance dashboard yourself.
Competitor Profiles
Wefunder
Best for: Startups raising <$5M from customers, fans, and non-accredited investors (Reg CF).
Trade-off: High fees (~7.5% carry/cash) and a "messy" cap table of thousands of small checks managed via their SPV. Not suitable for institutional bond/equity raises.
Securitize
Best for: Fortune 500 companies or large funds (BlackRock, KKR) who need a "Big 4" auditor-friendly brand name and SEC-registered Transfer Agent.
Trade-off: Extremely high cost and slower "heavy" infrastructure. You are renting their rails, not building your own. Budget: $50k+ upfront + ~$2k/mo.
Obligate
Best for: Pure debt issuance (Corporate Bonds) using Swiss DLT law. Clean structure for simple fixed-income instruments.
Trade-off: Niche focus on debt only. Requires arbitration in Switzerland. Less flexible for equity or complex revenue-share models compared to a DAO LLC.
Tokeny & Bitbond
Best for: Banks or Asset Managers who already have a massive internal legal/compliance team and just need raw smart contracts (ERC-3643).
Trade-off: You are on your own for legal structuring, banking integration, and investor KYC. Total cost often exceeds $50k when accounting for external counsel.
ADDX
Best for: Asian Real Estate or Private Equity funds looking specifically for Singaporean Accredited Investors.
Trade-off: Complete lock-in. Your asset lives and dies inside the ADDX platform. High non-refundable listing fees (S$20k+ application, S$35k+/yr maintenance).
Sygnum
Best for: High-net-worth individuals and family offices who want white-glove, bank-managed digital asset custody in Switzerland.
Trade-off: High setup costs, ongoing custody fees (~0.6%/yr on AUM), and a walled garden—your asset can only be traded among Sygnum clients.
Which Infrastructure Fits You?
Every platform has its sweet spot. Here is an honest guide to choosing the right one.
Choose Securitize or ADDX if:
- You are a massive enterprise (Fortune 500) or government entity
- You need the brand name of a large Transfer Agent for a multi-billion dollar public offering
- You have an unlimited budget for setup and legal fees
Choose Wefunder or Republic if:
- You want to raise money from customers, fans, and the general public (Retail Investors)
- You are raising a "Community Round" of small checks ($100–$1,000)
- You value community engagement over capital efficiency
Choose Tokeny or Bitbond if:
- You are a bank or financial institution building your own tokenization platform
- You have a full internal tech and legal team to manage the integration
- You need white-label smart contracts, not a full service
Choose Obligate if:
- You are issuing pure corporate debt under Swiss DLT law
- You need a clean, simple bond structure with no equity component
- You are comfortable with Swiss arbitration
Choose Sails.to if:
- You are an established business raising $1M–$50M from professional investors
- You want infrastructure, not overhead—the legal structure (DAO LLC), Trustee, and tech (Solana) delivered turnkey
- You demand flexibility: issue Bonds with Coupons, Revenue Shares, or Equity with Profit Participation
- You want investors to hold on-chain or in their bank account via ISIN through CrossConversion
- You value cost efficiency: $0 upfront, 1%–6% on success, 1% annual admin fee for Trust oversight
- You need cross-broker OTC liquidity with atomic settlement—not a walled-garden exchange
- You want to own your investor data, not hand it to a marketplace
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