Kraken Expands EU Access To Over 60 Tokenized US Stocks

Kraken’s expansion into the European Union marks an important development in global investing. EU traders now have investor access to more than 60 tokenized stocks and US ETFs through xStocks. For years, accessing U.S. equities from Europe meant dealing with brokers, cross-border transfers, conversion fees, and long settlement times. Those barriers are largely removed here. Assets like Tesla, NVIDIA, Apple, Meta, and several major index funds can now be bought and traded directly through the Kraken app, with trading open 24 hours a day, five days a week.

How Tokenized Stocks Work and Their Key Benefits

Tokenized stocks represent real shares on the blockchain, each backed one-to-one by the underlying asset. They mirror the market price and allow people to buy fractions of shares starting with just a single dollar. The on-chain structure means settlement takes minutes instead of days. These tokens can move freely between compatible wallets. Traders can also use them in DeFi apps as collateral or to earn returns. For investors in the EU, this is a big change. They no longer have to depend only on brokers or narrow trading channels. Now they have more flexibility and direct control.

Growing Volumes Show Strong Investor Momentum

Since Kraken first rolled out xStocks globally in June, trading volumes have reached over 3.6 billion dollars. By mid-August, xStocks already accounted for around 58 percent of all tokenized stock activity, with Tesla and NVIDIA leading the way. Solana currently carries most of this activity, holding about 46 million dollars of the 86 million market value, but Ethereum, BNB Chain, TRON, and Kraken’s own chain are on the roadmap. Spreading across multiple chains can lower concentration risk and create new opportunities for these assets to connect with different areas of the crypto ecosystem.

Competitive Landscape in Crypto and Fintech Platforms

The competitive picture is also worth noting. Robinhood, Gemini, Bybit, and KuCoin have all entered the same space, offering tokenized U.S. equities to European clients. Nasdaq has filed to move into the segment too, although it favors a closed, compliance-heavy approach that contrasts with Kraken’s open and interoperable model. That difference matters. An interoperable system makes it easier for tokenized stocks to integrate into the broader digital asset environment, while closed systems keep them isolated. For EU traders looking for flexibility, Kraken’s expansion offers a clear advantage.

Global Adoption of Tokenized Equities Beyond Europe

Outside Europe, tokenized equities are being tested in several regions. Banks in Switzerland and Singapore already run platforms for tokenized stocks. Latin American exchanges are pairing them with local stablecoins, and in the Middle East, firms are piloting tokenized ETF products. Kraken’s step into the EU fits into this larger trend, but the scale of its offering positions it as one of the leaders shaping how the market grows.

Impact on Ownership and Investment Portability

The broader impact could extend beyond equities. If tokenized assets like these gain traction, they may redefine how people think about ownership, settlement, and portability of investments. With investor access widened, EU traders now participate in a shift where traditional financial instruments become programmable and borderless. For global markets, that signals a move toward more fluid, digital-first participation.

Kraken expansion is more than just a product update. How fast adoption grows will hinge on a few things: user trust, available liquidity, and how smoothly tokenized stocks fit into everyday investment plans. But the early data points to strong uptake, and the direction of travel seems clear.