Telegram lets users trade US company shares
Kraken-backed xStocks launched on the TON blockchain, bringing stock trading directly into Telegram. Users can now buy, hold and transfer tokenised versions of US company shares through TON Wallet inside Telegram. Each xStock token is backed one-to-one by actual company shares held by regulated financial institutions as security. This means one TSLAx token always represents one real Tesla share stored safely in regulated custody accounts. Popular stocks available include Tesla, Nvidia, Apple and the S&P 500 index fund covering America’s biggest companies. TON Wallet has approximately 100 million users globally who can now access these tokenized stocks directly within Telegram.
Previously, users needed separate brokerage accounts and banking details to purchase American company shares through traditional methods. The integration eliminates these barriers by placing stock trading alongside messaging in an app people already use daily. Max Crown, TON Foundation president, said users can now trade equities with the same ease as sending messages. Arjun Sethi, Kraken’s co-chief executive, described this as bringing stocks onto truly open infrastructure without traditional gatekeepers. The launch works 24 hours daily including weekends, unlike traditional stock markets that only open during business hours.
Platform accumulated $180 million since launch six months ago
xStocks originally launched on Kraken exchange on 30th June 2025 operating on Solana and Ethereum blockchains initially. The platform has grown to over $180 million in total tokenized assets with nearly 50,000 unique wallet addresses holding stocks. Between November and December alone, xStocks added $60 million in new assets as adoption accelerated among cryptocurrency users. The Telegram integration previously started with a custodial wallet version in limited countries during October 2025 testing. That initial rollout generated strong early interest despite being available only in select markets for testing purposes.
The new TON Wallet integration provides much broader access through a non-custodial wallet that users control completely themselves. Kraken recently announced it will acquire Backed Finance, the company that originally created the xStocks tokenisation infrastructure. This acquisition aims to unify the issuance, trading and settlement of tokenised stocks under one coordinated system. The company plans further expansion to Mantle and TRON blockchains in coming months to increase accessibility across different networks.
Stock tokens mirror real share prices through regulated backing
Each xStock token is structured to trade on blockchain networks whilst mirroring the price of underlying company shares exactly. When Tesla stock rises or falls on traditional markets, TSLAx tokens automatically reflect the same price movements precisely. The tokens provide exposure to American companies without users directly owning shares through traditional brokerage accounts. Regulated custodians hold the actual company shares backing each token, ensuring full collateral coverage at all times. This structure allows people in countries with restricted access to American markets to hold these investments legally. Telegram has over 900 million users worldwide, many living in regions where opening American brokerage accounts proves difficult. The platform makes investing seamless, borderless and available around the clock using an app hundreds of millions already use. Kraken’s multichain strategy positions xStocks as widely distributed infrastructure rather than exclusive to one blockchain network only.
The company aims to create neutral, composable building blocks that anyone can utilise across different blockchain ecosystems freely. This launch represents one of the most significant efforts bringing tokenised financial products to mainstream distribution methods successfully. Rather than confining tokenised assets to cryptocurrency-focused wallets and exchanges, Telegram reaches everyday users through familiar messaging apps. The integration effectively turns Telegram into a mainstream stock trading application accessible to anyone with a smartphone globally.
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