Kraken & Robinhood Launch Tokenized Stocks for 24/7 On-Chain Trading
Major exchanges including Kraken and Robinhood have launched tokenized stocks that give direct exposure to real US equities like AAPL and TSLA through real-stock custody models. Users can trade these tokenized stocks 24/7 on-chain with stablecoins such as USDC, bypassing KYC barriers, regional limits, and traditional trading windows.
Robinhood co-founder Vlad Tenev notes that US regulators have eased enforcement-by-regulation, providing clear guidance on meme coins and staking. This clarity paves the way for tokenized stocks to serve as IPO alternatives and tap global liquidity, supported by recent deregulatory trends that revitalize the RWA narrative.
Crypto traders can leverage these tokenized stocks for market liquidity and DeFi integration, including using them as collateral in lending and derivatives. However, current models only support long positions without shareholder voting rights or legal parity, and the space still faces custody and regulatory uncertainties.
Bullish
The launch of tokenized stocks with real-stock custody and 24/7 on-chain trading is bullish for the crypto market. In the short term, it drives demand for stablecoins like USDC and boosts trading volume across Ethereum and Layer-2 networks. Over the long term, clearer regulations and expanded DeFi integration will deepen on-chain liquidity, attract global capital, and reinforce the use case for tokenized assets within financial ecosystems.