Kraken has expanded beyond crypto trading in Europe by giving eligible customers in the European Economic Area access to more than 7,000 U.S.-listed stocks. The exchange is offering the traditional shares alongside more than 600 crypto assets and over 700 tokenized equities known as xStocks. The new service is available through Kraken Pro and the main Kraken app, bringing traditional U.S. stocks, cryptocurrencies and blockchain-based versions of equities into one trading environment.
7,000+ US stocks are now available to EEA users in the Kraken app 🇪🇺
Invest in stocks, tokenized equities, and crypto all in one platform.
Explore stocks ⤵️https://t.co/0BVtXJ2tf1 pic.twitter.com/ApYmHxNzOF
— Kraken (@krakenfx) August 18, 2026
The stock-trading service is being offered through Payward Europe Digital Solutions, a Cyprus-based company authorised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission as a MiFID investment firm.
Kraken said eligible customers can trade the U.S.-listed shares without commissions, although other costs, including spreads and foreign-exchange charges, may apply. The exchange also plans to expand the service to additional markets in the coming months.
The move is significant because Kraken is not simply adding stocks to a crypto platform. It is bringing conventional shares and tokenized versions of equities into the same account.
Its xStocks are blockchain-based tokens designed to track the value of underlying stocks. Kraken says these products are backed 1:1 by the corresponding shares and can be transferred to compatible wallets and used in on-chain applications.
There is, however, an important difference between owning a traditional U.S. stock through Kraken and holding an xStock that tracks the same company. The two products have different legal and regulatory structures.
Source: kraken.com
Traditional shares are offered through Kraken’s regulated European investment entity under the MiFID framework. xStocks, meanwhile, are issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited and offered through a different Kraken entity. They are not registered with local securities regulators in the same way as the traditional shares.
The distinction matters for investors. Two products may follow the same underlying company but still carry different rights, protections, trading arrangements and risks.
Kraken also says xStocks can trade outside normal U.S. stock-market hours. This gives tokenized equities a feature that conventional shares generally do not have. The company said its xStocks had generated more than $38 billion in cumulative transaction volume since their launch in 2025.
Stay informed with the latest trends in Web3, blockchain innovation, and cybersecurity updates at 3verseTV
You need to login in order to Like
Leave a comment