Tokenized stocks meet global DeFi accessibility in Kraken’s most ambitious launch yet.
What If Wall Street Was Open 24/7—and Borderless?
If you’ve ever wished you could trade Tesla or Apple shares like Bitcoin—on-chain, anytime, anywhere—Kraken just brought that vision to life.
The crypto exchange is rolling out xStocks: tokenized versions of popular U.S. equities like Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, and major ETFs, all issued on the Solana blockchain.
The result? A new class of 24/7 tradable, blockchain-based assets—bridging traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) in a way the space hasn’t seen before.
What Exactly Are xStocks?
xStocks are fully collateralized, tokenized representations of real-world stocks and ETFs. They’re being launched via a partnership between Kraken and Backed Finance, an issuer that specializes in asset-backed tokens.
Key Features:
- Tokenized shares of top U.S. companies like Apple, Tesla, Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, and many others.
- Available 24/7, unlike traditional markets.
- DeFi-compatible—trade them, stake them, or use them as collateral.
- Built on Solana for speed, scale, and low fees.
- Compliant & collateralized via Backed’s regulated framework in Switzerland.
Who Can Access Them?
Due to regulatory limits, xStocks will not be available in the U.S. Instead, they’re being rolled out to regions with high demand for crypto-first finance:
- Europe
- Asia
- Latin America
- Africa
These are markets where retail access to U.S. equities is either expensive, delayed, or restricted. Kraken’s new product aims to flatten that curve and empower more global investors.
Access to traditional U.S. equities remains slow, costly, and restricted,” said Mark Greenberg, Kraken’s Global Head of Consumer. “With xStocks, we’re using blockchain to deliver something better—open, instant, accessible, and borderless exposure.
Why It Matters: DeFi’s Big Leap Toward Real-World Assets
The tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is a trend gaining traction across Ethereum, Solana, and Cosmos ecosystems. xStocks are one of the most tangible RWA deployments to date.
Here’s what this unlocks:
- Real-world value can flow into DeFi protocols.
- Interoperable finance—use tokenized equities as collateral in lending protocols or yield strategies.
- 24/7 exposure to price action in global equities, decoupled from Wall Street hours.
- Programmable finance—xStocks could be integrated into DAOs, smart contracts, or synthetic index strategies.
Built on Solana: Why the Choice Matters
Kraken is launching xStocks natively on Solana, citing its fast block times, ultra-low fees, and growing DeFi activity as major reasons. This makes them accessible through:
- Kraken’s own platform
- Solana-compatible wallets (like Phantom)
- DeFi platforms that integrate SPL tokens
This move reinforces Solana’s growing reputation as the go-to blockchain for high-frequency, real-world asset tokenization.
What Comes Next?
While the current rollout covers 50+ stocks and ETFs, Kraken and Backed Finance hint at expansion in several directions:
- More jurisdictions
- More asset types (think commodities, real estate, even private equity)
- Deeper integrations with Solana DeFi apps
Final Thoughts: A Signal of What’s to Come
Tokenized equities aren’t just a novelty.
They’re a preview of how financial markets may operate in the next decade. By putting Apple, Tesla, and Nvidia on-chain, Kraken is issuing a bold challenge to Wall Street’s decades-old model.
For crypto-native investors and DeFi builders, this is a wake-up call: the real world is coming to the blockchain.
And it's not waiting for permission.
