In an effort to democratize blockchain investing, crypto exchange Kraken has announced a strategic collaboration with Wallet in Telegram and tokenization firm Backed. The partnership aims to bring tokenized U.S. equities and ETFs (known as xStocks) to Telegram’s built-in crypto wallet, giving 100 million users worldwide access to traditional stocks via blockchain tokens.
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By adding these digital assets directly into a familiar app like Telegram, Kraken is making it easier for regular users to access and invest in traditional markets through crypto.
Bridging Tokenized Equities to Telegram’s User Base
Eligible Telegram users will soon be able to trade, view, and manage a range of xStocks assets directly within Wallet in Telegram, the app’s integrated custodial crypto wallet. A new ‘Stocks & ETFs’ section will let users buy, sell, and hold ETFs and stocks of leading U.S. companies.
At launch in October 2025, the offering will include around 35 equities and ETFs, such as NVIDIA (NVDA) and Coinbase (COINX), with support expanding to over 60 by the end of 2025. All xStocks tokens are fully backed by real shares, ensuring holders have the same economic exposure. Millions of Telegram users will be able to interact with crypto asset tokenization without leaving their favorite app.
Expanding Integration via the TON Blockchain
The collaboration doesn’t stop at the in-app wallet. In the coming months, Kraken, Backed, and Telegram will extend xStocks support to the self-custodial TON Wallet built on the TON blockchain. This expansion will allow users greater ownership and cross-chain access, as tokenized stocks can be held and traded directly in a decentralized wallet, not just in a custodial crypto wallet.
Ton blockchain: Source: blockchain.com
In effect, the initiative makes tokenized equities chain-neutral and portable across platforms. By enabling trading and storage on TON’s blockchain, the partners expand the reach of tokenized assets beyond any single app.
Innovating DeFi and Web3 Use Cases
Beyond basic trading, integrating xStocks into TON unlocks new possibilities for DeFi protocols and Web3 mini-apps. Because tokenized equities are programmable on the TON blockchain, they can serve as collateral in decentralized finance applications or be embedded into novel mini-app experiences. For example, a TON-based lending platform could accept xStocks as collateral, or developers could build gaming and investment dApps powered by tokenized stocks.
This fusion of tokenized equities with Telegram’s platform drives broader adoption of blockchain investing platforms and innovation across TON’s ecosystem.
Industry Leaders Highlight the Collaboration
Kraken Co-CEO Arjun Sethi talks about the user-centric goal of the partnership. He explains that adding xStocks to Telegram is about ‘meeting people where they already are,’ collapsing the distance between traditional markets and everyday users.’ According to Sethi, the move makes investing ‘seamless, borderless, and available around the clock’ using an app that hundreds of millions already use.
Andrew Rogozov, the CEO of CEO of Wallet in Telegram, emphasizes inclusivity. He says that this initiative is ‘shattering the traditional walls of finance and giving millions of people their first real shot at the global financial area.’ Rogozov’s mission is to make tokenized stocks and ETFs accessible to over a billion Telegram users worldwide, effectively turning everyday conversations into opportunities to participate in international markets.
Backed Co-Founder Adam Levi highlights the transformative impact on wealth-building. He notes that with xStocks, the team is doing ‘more than tokenizing equities,’ fundamentally changing how users interact with capital markets. Levi calls the Telegram integration a ‘game-changer,’ enabling innovative solutions that were impossible on legacy financial systems.
Ensuring Transparency with Full Collateralization
A key pillar of xStocks is trust. Kraken and Backed note that all tokenized equities are fully collateralized 1:1 with the underlying stocks or ETFs. In practice, this means that for every xStock issued, Backed holds the equivalent real share in reserve, keeping the token’s value aligned with the actual asset.
Unlike many crypto offerings, xStocks are issued under a compliant prospectus with detailed investor disclosures. This regulatory transparency and one-to-one backing are designed to strengthen investor confidence as newcomers enter blockchain-based finance.
Growth of xStocks and Global Expansion
Since its launch, xStocks has achieved impressive milestones. The platform has surpassed $4.5 billion in trading volume across centralized and decentralized exchanges, reflecting strong demand for tokenized stocks.
In recent months, Kraken has launched xStocks on Solana and announced integrations on BNB Chain, TRON, Ethereum, and now TON. This multi-chain strategy underlines Kraken’s goal of making tokenized equities open, borderless, and accessible wherever users trade.
Democratizing Access to Global Markets
Overall, this partnership marks a major step in making financial markets more inclusive. By delivering tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through Telegram’s popular wallet, the partnership brings global financial accessibility to new heights. It effectively turns Telegram into a mainstream crypto trading app for equities.
The move is part of a broader mission by Kraken, Backed, and Wallet in Telegram to integrate crypto asset tokenization into everyday platforms.
