Equities

An equity is a share of ownership in a company. Today, when you buy a share, the order goes through a broker and an exchange, and a clearing house settles it. In the US, that’s done one business day after the trade, a rule that took effect in May 2024. Stock markets mostly open on weekdays, during business hours.

Tokenized equities put shares, or claims on shares, on a blockchain. They could trade around the clock, settle almost instantly and be split into small fractions. They could also move between platforms or be used as collateral. That could widen access to US stocks for investors abroad and let markets work when banks are closed. But not every token is the share itself. Some are claims on a share that another company holds, without the same rights, such as voting. Always check what a token really represents.

In May 2025, the crypto exchange Kraken and the issuer Backed launched xStocks on Solana for clients outside the US, with each token backed by a real share. In June 2025, Robinhood began offering EU customers more than 200 tokens tracking US stocks and ETFs, issued on Arbitrum. In March 2026, the SEC approved a Nasdaq rule letting eligible firms trade tokenized versions of certain large US stocks and ETFs alongside the regular shares, as long as the tokens carry the same rights. That trading starts once the Depository Trust Company, which settles most US stock trades, has its systems ready.