Modulis 8 · Tokenized assets (RWA)

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Tokenized stocks (xStocks)

SOL

A tokenized stock is a real, exchange-listed share (e.g. Apple or Tesla) turned into a crypto token that you can trade on the Solana network 24/7. In this lesson you'll understand how it's created and what backs it.

A simple analogy

A tokenized stock is like a warehouse receipt. The real goods (the share) sit in the warehouse, and you hold a receipt (the token) in your hand that you can freely pass on to someone else. The receipt only has value because a real good genuinely stands behind it.

What are xStocks?

xStocks is one of the largest lines of tokenized stocks and the most popular one on Solana (~86% of that chain's issuance). Across the whole market it ranks third as of September 2026: Ondo Global Markets ~$868M, Binance bStocks ~$650M, xStocks ~$642M (source: rwa.xyz, 2026-09-05 — these figures change).

They're created by Backed Finance AG — a Swiss group company. But for EU/EEA clients the legal chain is different: the tokens distributed in the EU are issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited (Jersey), the base prospectus under the EU Prospectus Regulation is approved by the Liechtenstein FMA, and EU clients are served by Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Ltd (CySEC licence No. 342/17). In December 2025, Backed Finance was fully acquired by the exchange Kraken.

Feature	xStocks
Group issuer	Backed Finance AG (Switzerland)
Issuer for EU distribution	Backed Assets (JE) Limited (Jersey)
EU legal basis	EU prospectus approved by the Liechtenstein FMA
Distributor for EU clients	Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Ltd, CySEC 342/17
Network	SOL Solana (SPL) and, since April 2026, BNB Chain
Backing	1:1 by a real share held with a custodian
Assets available	60+ stocks and ETFs

The same ticker lives on several chains

Since April 2026 the same xStocks tickers (e.g. AAPLx) exist not only on Solana but also on BNB Chain. ALWAYS check which chain your token is on before sending: a Solana address will not accept a BNB Chain token, and the funds are gone for good.

How is a single xStock created?

The process is simple and strictly backed:

Issuer buys the real share

Backed Finance buys the real share on an exchange through a traditional broker — exactly the way any investor would.

Share is held with a custodian

The purchased share is handed to a licensed, regulated custodian for safekeeping. It physically exists and is locked up.

A 1:1-backed token is issued

An SPL token is issued on the Solana network, backed by that one share. One token matches one real share — never more.

A 1:1 backing means the number of tokens in circulation always equals the number of shares in custody.

The logic behind token names

A tokenized stock is often given the share's ticker symbol plus a suffix. For example, Apple's ticker on the exchange is AAPL — its tokenized version might look something like AAPLx. That's just an example of the general style, not a strict rule — you'll always see the real name in the trading interface.

Why this matters

The token symbol helps avoid confusion. Build one habit: before you swap, confirm it's the official, backed token from the issuer, not a similarly named copy. It's a simple skill you'll quickly start doing automatically.

What can already be tokenized?

There are currently 60+ tokenized stocks and ETFs, including well-known companies:

Stock	Symbol
Apple	AAPL
Tesla	TSLA
...and 58+ more	various

The sector is already sizeable: as of 2026-09-05 the tokenized-stock market was worth about $2.91 billion, with roughly 2.67 million holders (source: rwa.xyz — these figures move fast, so check the current ones).

Where can you buy and trade them?

Place	Type	Best for
Jupiter SOL	DEX aggregator	Swapping on the Solana network
Raydium SOL	DEX pools	Liquidity and swapping
Kraken	Centralized exchange	Beginners, simpler
Ondo Global Markets	Issuer with an EEA permission	An alternative to xStocks: since November 2025 it holds a Liechtenstein FMA permission to offer tokenized stocks and ETFs to retail investors across the EEA

Is this even available to you?

For EU clients, xStocks are provided through CySEC-licensed Payward Europe (CY) — and they are not available to residents of the US, UK, Canada or Australia. Since November 2025 an alternative is Ondo Global Markets, which obtained a Liechtenstein FMA permission to offer tokenized stocks and ETFs to retail investors across all 30 EEA countries.

Always check a given provider's jurisdiction list before signing up — it changes.

What makes tokenized stocks better?

3 key advantages

Trading 24/7 — even on weekends and at night, when the traditional exchange is closed.

Fractional shares — you can buy even part of a share, if you don't want or can't afford a whole one.

Composability — you can use the token in DeFi: for example, as collateral on Kamino SOL or paired in Raydium SOL pools.

Once you understand the backing chain, you can judge for yourself whether a token genuinely has support behind it — you no longer need to blindly trust anything, because you now understand the verification logic.

Summary

Question	Answer
Who creates it?	Backed Finance AG (owned by Kraken)
What backs it?	1:1 by a real share held with a custodian
Where does it trade?	Jupiter, Raydium, Kraken
When does it trade?	24/7, even on weekends
How many assets?	60+ stocks and ETFs

This is not investment advice — the lesson explains the mechanism, it doesn't tell you what to buy. Tokenized stocks are regulated securities, and the rules and availability differ across countries and change fast — check the current status yourself before acting.

Quick check

What backs a single xStock token?

Practice task

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Find tokenized stocks (you're not buying anything)

This is an exploration task with no money involved — just seeing what tokenized stocks actually look like. Takes about 5-10 minutes.

DON'T BUY ANYTHING — just explore and write it down. This is not investment advice, just a hands-on exploration task.

This is learning, not investing — use only small amounts you treat as tuition.

You just found real backed tokenized stocks yourself and checked their symbols — that's exactly the hands-on familiarity most people skip, which is why they never get past the rumors.

What Are RWAs — Real-World Assets Tokenized stock vs a real share