Wall Street and crypto have been circling each other for years. On Monday, they shook hands.

 

Nasdaq and Kraken's parent company Payward announced a partnership to develop what they're calling an equities transformation gateway, a piece of infrastructure designed to let tokenized versions of publicly listed stocks move between the traditional, regulated financial system and the open, permissionless world of decentralized finance. The deal is one of the most significant convergences between a legacy exchange operator and a major crypto platform the industry has seen, and it arrives at a moment when several of the world's biggest exchanges appear to be racing to plant flags in the tokenized securities space.

 

Nasdaq President Tal Cohen said the exchange believes tokenization "has the potential to unlock the benefits of an always-on financial ecosystem" and to improve how investors access markets and how issuers engage with shareholders. The equity token design, which Nasdaq expects to become operational in the first half of 2027, is designed to preserve issuer control, existing regulatory frameworks, and the underlying rights associated with company shares.

 

 

What's Actually Being Built

Nasdaq's equity token design is not just about putting a blockchain wrapper around a stock. The initiative is structured so that blockchain records are integrated directly into the issuer's official share register, meaning a transfer of the token represents an actual transfer of the underlying security itself. Full legal and regulatory equivalence is the goal, not a synthetic approximation of it.

 

Kraken's xStocks framework powers the permissionless side of that equation. Since launching less than a year ago, xStocks has processed more than $25 billion in total transaction volume, with over $4 billion of that settled directly on-chain. More than 85,000 unique holders across supported networks have used the product, which currently covers more than 70 tokenized equities and ETFs, each backed 1:1 by the underlying asset. Fractional shares are available from $1. Trading runs around the clock on-chain, and dividends flow back automatically as additional tokens.

 

Under the partnership, the equities transformation gateway will allow clients in eligible jurisdictions to swap tokenized equities between the regulated, permissioned Nasdaq environment and the permissionless DeFi ecosystem. Payward Services will handle KYC and AML onboarding for participants accessing the gateway. Kraken will serve as the primary settlement layer for Nasdaq equity token transactions for an initial period, in the markets where xStocks are available.

 

It's worth being precise about geography. xStocks are not registered under the U.S. Securities Act and are not available to U.S. persons or in the United Kingdom. The initial rollout targets Europe and other international markets where Payward holds the relevant registrations and licenses.

 

 

The Regulatory Foundation Is Already Laid

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Nasdaq filed a proposal with the SEC in September 2025 that sought to allow tokenized versions of its listed stocks and ETFs to trade alongside traditional shares and settle through the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation. That proposal argued for working within existing rules rather than around them, a notable contrast to tokenization projects that have tried to carve out space outside traditional regulatory structures.

 

The regulatory environment has also shifted meaningfully. The SEC's 2026 Staff Statement on Tokenized Securities classifies tokenized equities the same as regular equity securities under federal law, giving the Nasdaq initiative a cleaner legal runway than it might have had even a year ago. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has been publicly supportive of American leadership in digital financial technology, and the commission has asked staff to work with firms on tokenized securities distribution.

 

Nasdaq's equity token design is set up as an issuer-sponsored, voluntary program. Public companies listed on Nasdaq would be able to opt in as the framework develops. The exchange plans to engage issuers, transfer agents, regulators, and market infrastructure providers as the project evolves.

 

 

Kraken's Vertical Integration Play

For Kraken, the Nasdaq partnership is the latest move in what looks increasingly like a deliberate strategy to own the entire tokenized equity stack. In December 2025 the company acquired Backed Finance, the Swiss issuer that sits behind the xStocks product, deepening its vertical integration along the tokenization value chain. In February of this year it expanded xStocks to the 360X platform operated by Deutsche Boerse Group. And in late 2025 Kraken launched what it described as the world's first regulated tokenized equity perpetual futures, offering up to 20x leverage for non-U.S. clients across more than 110 countries.

 

Kraken also became the first crypto company to secure approval for a Federal Reserve master account, a regulatory win that drew criticism from several U.S. banking groups but also marked a genuine shift in how regulators are thinking about the boundary between crypto platforms and the traditional banking system. The company is separately targeting a public listing in 2026.

 

Arjun Sethi, Kraken's Co-CEO, framed the Nasdaq deal in terms of capital efficiency as much as access. His argument is that equities today sit largely frozen inside brokerage systems where their utility is limited to directional exposure and, in some cases, venue-specific margin. Tokenized equities on programmable infrastructure, he suggested, can function as collateral across a much broader set of trading, lending, and hedging environments simultaneously, without the capital fragmentation that comes when each venue requires isolated collateral deposits.

 

"When collateral can move programmatically between systems," Sethi said, "settlement friction decreases and capital can move more dynamically between strategies and markets."

 

 

The Race Is On

The Nasdaq-Kraken announcement does not exist in isolation. It arrived in a week that saw the Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, make a strategic investment in OKX at a reported $25 billion valuation, signing a deal to bring tokenized NYSE-listed stocks and crypto futures to OKX's platform. ICE separately announced development of a new digital trading platform combining the NYSE's Pillar matching engine with blockchain-based post-trade systems. That platform would support 24/7 trading of U.S.-listed equities and ETFs, instant settlement via tokenized capital, and stablecoin-based funding. ICE said it would seek regulatory approvals for the venue, with NYSE-linked tokenized shares targeting availability in the second quarter of 2026.

 

Nasdaq also separately announced a partnership with Seturion, the tokenized settlement platform operated by Boerse Stuttgart Group, to connect its European trading venues to infrastructure supporting trading and settlement of tokenized securities.

 

What's emerging is something that looked improbable even two years ago: a genuine competition among the world's largest exchange operators over who gets to own the infrastructure layer for tokenized securities. The race is less about whether tokenized equities will happen and more about which institutions get to control the plumbing.

 

If the Nasdaq-Kraken infrastructure reaches full operation, the implications for how capital markets function could be substantial. Tokenized equities with 24/7 on-chain settlement would, in theory, compress the settlement cycle that still takes two business days in conventional U.S. equity markets. Shareholders would retain full governance rights, including proxy voting and dividend entitlements, automated through smart contract logic rather than managed through layers of intermediaries.

 

For international retail investors in markets where traditional brokerage distribution is limited or expensive, access to tokenized U.S. equities through a crypto exchange represents a potentially meaningful expansion of the investable universe. Fractional share availability starting at $1 removes one of the practical barriers that has kept some investors out of high-priced stocks.

 

The more speculative scenario, and the one Sethi seems most interested in, is what happens when tokenized equities can be used as collateral across DeFi lending protocols, perpetual futures markets, and other on-chain financial applications. The argument is that programmable collateral is more efficient than static collateral, and that the firms which build the infrastructure to move it across venues will capture a meaningful slice of the value created.

 

There's obviously a long way to go. The Nasdaq equity token design isn't expected to be operational until mid-2027. Regulatory approvals still need to be worked through. Issuer adoption is voluntary and therefore uncertain. The U.S. market itself remains off-limits for xStocks. And building genuine liquidity in tokenized equity markets, as Sethi himself acknowledged, requires more than technology alone.

 

Still, the direction of travel is increasingly clear. The question is no longer whether traditional exchange operators will engage with blockchain-based infrastructure. It's who gets there first, and whose plumbing ends up underneath everyone else's trades.

 

Crypto exchange Kraken has launched xChange, a new on-chain trading engine designed to facilitate trading of its tokenized stocks, xStocks, across Ethereum and Solana.

 

According to Kraken, xChange supports on-chain trading of more than 70 tokenized equities with 1:1 price backing to their underlying shares. To ensure transparency, the platform allows these tokenized equities to track their prices in the public stock market.

 

As a result, tokenized equities on the xChange platform will track their corresponding prices in the public stock market without the involvement of third-party intermediaries.

 

How xChange Is Transforming the Tokenized Equity Market

The tokenized equity market has grown remarkably. According to a January report from DL Research, it expanded approximately 2,800% year over year, rising from about $32 million in January 2024 to $963 million in January 2025.

 

In fact, Token Terminal reported that the tokenized stock and equity market reached an all-time high valuation of $1.2 billion in December 2025.

 

 

 

As tokenized equities continue to gain traction, with monthly trading volumes reaching $800 million, Kraken launched xChange to build on this momentum.

By providing a unified execution layer that connects liquidity across Ethereum and Solana, xChange enables users to execute large trades quickly with minimal slippage.

 

xChange offers atomic on-chain settlement, allowing users to execute trades indivisibly. There are no intermediate states during a trade; orders are either executed in full at the quoted price or not executed at all.

 

xChange also operates 24 hours a day, five days a week across the Ethereum and Solana blockchains. The benefit? Traders can continue trading tokenized equities beyond traditional market hours.

 

 

What xStocks Are

Launched in June 2025, xStocks are tokenized representations of real U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Although they were launched by Kraken, they are issued by Backed Finance.

 

Although they are not available to users in the United States and the United Kingdom, they are available in more than 140 countries, and their performance so far has been impressive.

 

 

 

Since launch, they have recorded $3.5 billion in on-chain transaction volume and $25 billion in total trading volume across exchanges, with approximately $225 million in tokenized assets held across 80,000 blockchain wallets.

 

Securitize Wants to Put Stocks On-Chain, and Wall Street Is Starting to Pay Attention

Securitize is making a move that, not long ago, would have sounded more theoretical than practical. The company plans to launch tokenized versions of stocks on-chain, pushing one of the most traditional parts of finance a little closer to blockchain infrastructure.

This is not about meme stocks or crypto-native experiments. Securitize operates squarely within the existing regulatory system. It has spent years working with asset managers, institutions, and regulators, quietly building the pipes needed to issue and manage digital versions of real-world assets.

That context matters. Putting stocks on-chain is not just a technical upgrade. It is an attempt to modernize how equities are issued, traded, and settled, without breaking the legal framework that keeps markets functioning.

 

What Putting Stocks On-Chain Really Looks Like

Tokenized stocks are essentially digital representations of real shares, recorded on a blockchain. These are not synthetic products that simply track prices. Each token is designed to correspond to an actual share, with ownership recognized in corporate and legal records.

In practice, that means the blockchain handles transfer and settlement, while traditional systems still govern shareholder rights, compliance, and corporate actions. It is less a replacement of existing markets and more a new layer running alongside them.

The appeal is straightforward. Blockchain settlement is faster. Transfers can happen in minutes rather than days. Tokens can also be divided into smaller pieces, which makes fractional ownership easier and potentially opens the door to a broader set of investors.

It is not revolutionary on its own, but it is meaningfully more efficient.

 

Why Securitize Is in a Position to Try This

Securitize has been focused on tokenization long before it became a popular narrative. The company already handles issuance, compliance, and transfer agent duties for tokenized funds and other financial products. Billions of dollars in assets have passed through its platform.

Because it operates with regulatory approval, Securitize has been able to work inside the system rather than around it. That makes its push into tokenized stocks feel less speculative and more like a logical next step.

If funds, bonds, and private assets can be tokenized, public equities were always going to be part of the conversation. The question was when, not if.

 

Why This Matters for Markets

The strongest case for tokenized equities comes down to efficiency.

Settlement in traditional stock markets still takes two days. Blockchain-based settlement happens much faster, which reduces counterparty risk and frees up capital.

There is also the question of access. Tokenized stocks can, in theory, trade around the clock and reach investors beyond traditional market hours and geographies, depending on regulatory constraints.

Fractional ownership is another piece. Smaller units of stock make it easier for investors to gain exposure without committing large amounts of capital.

And once equities live on-chain, they become programmable. Compliance checks, dividend payments, and other corporate actions can be automated in ways that legacy systems struggle to match.

None of this guarantees widespread adoption. But for institutions that spend heavily on operational complexity, the benefits are hard to ignore.

 

Regulation Still Sets the Pace

None of this works without regulators. Stocks are among the most tightly governed financial instruments in the world, and tokenization does not change that.

Securitize’s approach has been to treat tokenized stocks as securities first. Identity checks remain in place. Transfers are restricted based on jurisdiction and eligibility. Corporate governance follows existing rules.

That conservative stance may slow things down, but it also makes the product usable for institutions that cannot afford regulatory uncertainty.

Around the world, regulators are moving carefully. Some are experimenting with blockchain-based trading and settlement systems. Others are still figuring out how digital records fit into long-standing legal definitions of ownership.

The progress is uneven, but the direction is clear. Tokenization is no longer being dismissed. It is being studied.

 

Part of a Bigger Shift

Securitize’s move fits into a broader trend across financial markets. Tokenization is spreading from pilot projects to real issuance. Bonds, private credit, and structured products are increasingly being brought on-chain, often with the backing of established financial players.

Stocks are different. They are more visible and more symbolic. Bringing them on-chain would signal that blockchain technology has moved beyond niche use cases and into the core of global markets.

That shift, once it starts, tends to be difficult to unwind.

 

The Challenges Are Real

There are still open questions.

Liquidity is a big one. Tokenized stocks only matter if there are enough buyers and sellers to create healthy markets. That takes time.

Interoperability is another. Bridging blockchain systems with legacy infrastructure adds complexity and introduces new risks.

And then there is trust. Investors tend to be conservative with assets as central as stocks. New formats have to earn credibility slowly.

None of these challenges are deal breakers, but they help explain why this transition is likely to be gradual rather than dramatic.

 

A Quiet but Important Step

Securitize putting stocks on-chain is not a revolution. It is something more understated.

It suggests that the future of markets may be less about tearing down existing institutions and more about updating the infrastructure beneath them. Blockchain, in this framing, becomes a tool rather than a statement.

If that vision holds, tokenized stocks may eventually feel unremarkable. They will simply be another way equities move through the system, faster, cleaner, and mostly behind the scenes.

 

And that is often how real change shows up in finance.

 

Stay Connected

You can stay up to date on all News, Events, and Marketing of Rare Network, including Rare Evo: America’s Premier Blockchain Conference, happening  July 28th-31st, 2026 at The ARIA Resort & Casino, by following our socials on X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Kraken Moves Deeper Into Tokenized Equities With Backed Finance Acquisition

Kraken is making a major push into the tokenization market with its agreement to acquire Backed Finance, the company behind the xStocks product line.

This move gives Kraken full control over a growing category of tokenized equities and positions the exchange for rapid expansion as it prepares for a public listing.

 

A Strategic Acquisition With Clear Intent

Backed Finance specializes in issuing tokens tied to real world assets, mainly public company stocks and ETFs. These assets are backed by real shares held in custody, allowing users to hold digital representations of traditional securities inside a blockchain environment.

By bringing Backed Finance in house, Kraken gains control over the entire tokenization stack. Issuance, collateral, custody, compliance, and product architecture will all operate under one roof. This eliminates reliance on an external provider and strengthens Kraken’s ability to innovate and scale. The exchange has been building aggressively in Europe and other global markets, and the acquisition aligns with its larger ambition to make tokenized securities a core part of its ecosystem.

 

Why Kraken Is Doubling Down on Tokenization

Tokenized assets have gained momentum as traders and institutions look for a more flexible way to access traditional financial instruments. The benefit is simple. Stocks can be traded on chain, around the clock, with global reach and fewer barriers.

Kraken’s recent capital raise brought its valuation to roughly twenty billion dollars. The company has been preparing for a public offering targeted for 2026, and expanding into real world asset tokenization helps diversify its revenue streams before going public. Backed Finance already holds meaningful market share in the tokenized equity space, which gives Kraken a strong foundation to build on.

The acquisition formalizes a partnership Kraken has spent the past year expanding. Backed has powered xStocks since launch, supporting products that have now generated more than $5 billion in cumulative trading volume on Kraken. 

 

The Broader Market Context

Interest in real world asset tokenization has surged through 2025, but the sector still faces challenges. Liquidity varies widely across tokenized securities. Some assets trade actively, while others see thin volume. This raises questions about whether tokenization alone can deliver deeper markets.

Regulatory frameworks are also evolving. Tokenized shares do not always offer the same rights as traditional equities, such as voting or regular dividend distribution. As more platforms introduce tokenized stocks, market fragmentation becomes a risk, since liquidity can spread across multiple chains and issuers.

These challenges do not diminish the potential, but they highlight the need for stronger standards, clearer rules, and well capitalized issuers.

 

What This Means for the Future

Kraken’s acquisition signals that tokenized equities are becoming a long term strategic priority rather than a side experiment. If successful, Kraken could set the standard for a hybrid financial model where traditional assets move seamlessly across blockchain infrastructure.

BlackRock executives Larry Fink and Rob Goldstein recently said tokenization could reshape financial markets as profoundly as the early internet reshaped information.

Kraken's users may gain access to more global equities, greater flexibility, fractional ownership, and always available markets. Institutions may find a more programmable way to issue and settle securities. The industry may see a blueprint for bridging regulated markets with decentralized technology.

 

The path will not be simple. Liquidity, compliance, and investor protections will remain central areas of focus. However, Kraken’s move shows that major players believe the future of equities includes both traditional exchanges and blockchain based markets working together.

 

Stay Connected

You can stay up to date on all News, Events, and Marketing of Rare Network, including Rare Evo: America’s Premier Blockchain Conference, happening  July 28th-31st, 2026 at The ARIA Resort & Casino, by following our socials on X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.