Nasdaq Partners With Kraken for Tokenized Stocks, Launching 2027

In brief

Nasdaq is partnering with Kraken parent company Payward to develop tokenized equities, built atop its xStocks framework.
The initiative aims to “modernize processes” including corporate actions, shareholder engagement and proxy voting.
The move comes amid a wider push towards tokenized stocks in the TradFi world from players such as the NYSE.

Nasdaq is partnering with Payward, the parent firm of crypto exchange Kraken, to develop tokenized equities that will enable “programmable investor engagement,” the exchange announced Monday.

Set to launch in the first half of 2027, the initiative aims to “modernize processes” including corporate actions, shareholder engagement and proxy voting, Nasdaq stated in a press release. Tokenized shares would afford the holder “full legal and regulatory equivalence,” with a transfer of the token representing a transfer of the underlying security, it said.

The exchange added that the plan builds on its tokenization proposal filed with the SEC last year, which aimed to give customers the option to trade securities via traditional digital representation of ownership, with or without blockchain backing.

In a separate release, Payward explained that it would develop an “equities transformation gateway” with Nasdaq built atop its xStocks framework, enabling customers “in jurisdictions around the world where xStocks are available” to trade tokenized versions of public company shares.

“This issuer‑sponsored approach for tokenized equity securities is designed to empower public companies and enhance global accessibility to U.S. equity markets, ”said Nasdaq President Tal Cohen, adding that tokenization “has the potential to unlock the benefits of an always-on financial ecosystem – enhancing how investors access markets, how issuers engage with shareholders.”

Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Payward and Kraken, added that the initiative “expands access to public markets where traditional distribution has been limited” for international customers, while U.S. customers will benefit from “greater collateral efficiency and capital mobility across trading and financing workflows.”

Nasdaq’s move comes amid a wider push towards tokenized stocks in the TradFi world. In January, the NYSE announced that it is developing a blockchain-based platform for trading tokenized equities, while just last week its parent company Intercontinental Exchange invested in crypto exchange OKX at a $25 billion valuation, enabling OKX users to trade tokenized stocks and derivatives listed on the NYSE from later this year.