Kraken to Roll Out Tokenized U.S. Stocks Across Europe and Australia
Hey FinTech Fanatic!
Kraken’s roadmap is gradually unfolding beyond crypto trading. In recent weeks, the exchange has taken several steps to integrate more traditional financial services into its offering, starting with a Mastercard partnership to launch a crypto debit card. Days later, it introduced access to more than 11,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs for U.S. clients through its platform.
Now, Kraken is preparing to bring that access to clients in the U.K., Europe, and Australia, not through legacy rails, but via tokenized equities. The new product, xStocks, is built in collaboration with Backed Finance and will deliver blockchain-based versions of well-known U.S. stocks and ETFs. Issued as SPL tokens on Solana, these assets can be traded on Kraken or transferred on-chain to compatible wallets.
Kraken pointed out that access to U.S. equities from outside the country has long been shaped by structural barriers. High fees, limited trading hours, and regulatory friction are part of a system that still depends on legacy infrastructure. These constraints have made international equity investing both costly and complex.
Tokenized stocks offer a new approach. By representing equity exposure on blockchain rails, they can enable around-the-clock access and reduce intermediaries. While the concept is still gaining traction, its potential to reimagine how global investors interact with public markets is beginning to take form.
As Kraken expands its vision, Mark Greenberg, the company’s Global Head of Consumer, summarized the shift: “Access to traditional U.S. equities remains slow, costly, and restricted. With xStocks, we’re using blockchain technology to deliver something better, open, instant, accessible, and borderless exposure to some of America’s most iconic companies.”
Read more global FinTech industry updates below 👇 and I'll be back with more on Monday!
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