Crypto.com rolls out tokenized stock derivatives as crypto exchanges push into equities
The exchange is joining a tokenized stock market that has grown 600% in a year, though its products offer price exposure rather than share ownership.
Crypto.com is expanding its offerings by introducing tokenized stock derivatives for 1,500 U.S. equities and exchange-traded funds, marking a deeper push into traditional markets for crypto exchanges. Eligible users in the European Economic Area and various other approved markets can now gain exposure to assets such as Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), and ETFs like SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV).
These derivatives, issued by Foris Capital CY Limited, allow investors to trade positions as low as $1 at any time of day. However, it's important to note that these products do not grant investors actual ownership of the underlying securities, nor do they confer voting or other shareholder rights. Instead, they offer synthetic exposure, meaning the value of the product will move in tandem with the underlying stock or ETF.
The assets backing these products are held with U.S. broker-dealer Alpaca. This new offering is a result of Crypto.com's acquisition of Foris Capital in May 2025, which granted the exchange a Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) license for regulated financial products in Europe. The launch of tokenized stocks represents a significant growth area, with the market valued at approximately $2.49 billion, a staggering 600% increase over the past year, as per RWA.xyz data.
Analysts estimate that tokenized securities could potentially reach a $5.5 trillion market by 2030, including $2.6 trillion in tokenized equities. Other exchanges, including Kraken, Bybit, Bitget, and Robinhood, have also ventured into tokenized equity products for international investors. Meanwhile, key institutions like the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) and stock market giants such as Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange are exploring their own tokenization initiatives.
Nonetheless, the landscape of tokenized securities remains complex, with some products functioning as issuer-sponsored models that can issue actual shares onchain while preserving ownership and shareholder rights. This evolving market is drawing increasing scrutiny from regulators and market infrastructure providers as tokenized securities become more mainstream.
Written by urgent.news from CoinDesk's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
