Kraken Expands xStocks in Europe, Pushing U.S. Equity Access Onchain

Kraken is taking its tokenized equities platform, xStocks, to European investors, widening access to U.S. markets through blockchain-based certificates.

“For years, gaining exposure to U.S. stocks has been complicated and costly for European traders,” noted Mark Greenberg, Kraken’s Global Head of Consumer. “xStocks removes those barriers.”

The platform offers tokenized certificates that mirror the price of more than 50 U.S. equities—including tech heavyweights like Nvidia and Google—without the need for brokers or intermediaries. Investors can self-custody these assets or integrate them into decentralized finance protocols, sidestepping friction from currency conversion, settlement lags, and high platform fees.

Launched in June in partnership with tokenization startup Backed, xStocks has already processed over $3.84 billion in trading volume across centralized and decentralized platforms. Kraken is also expanding token support to BEP-20 on BNB Chain, while extending integrations through collaborations with Tron DAO and other blockchain ecosystems.

“Over time, Kraken will expand xStocks support to more high-impact blockchains with thriving ecosystems,” the company confirmed, naming Ink as one of the next integrations.

The rise of tokenized stocks reflects a broader push toward real-world asset tokenization, a trend increasingly seen as a bridge between traditional capital markets and blockchain innovation. Kraken argues that xStocks represent more than just a technical upgrade:
“They signal a fundamental shift in capital markets—borderless, decentralized, permissionless, and fully onchain.”