Blockchain.com, NYSE plan access to tokenized US stocks and ETFs

Blockchain.com and the New York Stock Exchange have signed a memorandum of understanding that would give the crypto platform's users access to tokenized US exchange-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds through NYSE's planned digital trading venue. The service is not yet live: it depends on the launch of NYSE's digital alternative trading system, or ATS, and on any required regulatory approvals.

If it goes ahead, Blockchain.com's global users could trade tokenized versions of US equities and ETFs outside regular market hours. NYSE announced the ATS in January, pitching round-the-clock trading, fractional shares, stablecoin funding and immediate onchain settlement. The platform is designed to support both tokenized versions of traditional shares and shares issued directly as digital tokens, with holders retaining conventional rights such as dividends and voting, the exchange said at the time. The launch remains subject to regulatory approval.

"Connecting to the NYSE digital ATS will enable us to extend the opportunity to invest in these digital assets to tens of millions of Blockchain.com users around the world," said Peter Smith, executive chairman, CEO and co-founder of Blockchain.com. NYSE Group President Lynn Martin said Blockchain.com's international reach and digital-asset experience would help distribute tokenized securities once the platform launches.

Market data flows

The agreement also covers market data moving between the two companies. ICE Data Services, part of NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange, plans to distribute Blockchain.com's crypto market data and analytics to its clients. In return, Blockchain.com intends to add certain ICE and NYSE exchange data feeds to its app, giving its more than 44 million confirmed accounts access to real-time stock information. Some of that data will also flow through June, the company's crypto-focused AI assistant.

The companies did not say when the service might launch, which stocks and ETFs would be offered, or disclose financial terms. The deal follows the Securities and Exchange Commission's introduction last week of an "innovation exemption" to support onchain trading of certain tokenized US stocks. The five-year exemption gives eligible platforms and liquidity providers relief from some existing rules, and requires tokenized shares to carry the same rights as traditional shares. Synthetic products that merely track a stock's price are excluded.

Blockchain.com already offers tokenized US stocks and ETFs outside the US through a partnership with Ondo Finance. The pair expanded that service to eligible users across 30 European Economic Area countries in February, after initially making more than 200 tokenized stocks and ETFs available in Africa and South America in 2025, distributed via Blockchain.com's DeFi wallet and Ondo Global Markets. NYSE also signed an agreement with Securitize in March; Securitize is expected to act as digital transfer agent and broker-dealer participant on the planned platform. Interest in tokenized securities has grown as crypto and traditional finance firms build products for onchain settlement and 24/7 markets, with Citi Institute estimating tokenized assets could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030 under its base-case forecast.