xStocks, the tokenized equities framework developed by Payward, has deployed its first batch of tokenized equities representing UK and European publicly listed assets, the most significant broadening of the framework beyond tokenized US listings to date. The launch takes xStocks past 1,500 tokenized assets in total, and is powered by an ongoing partnership between Payward Services and GTN, the fintech powering limitless investment.

The first wave covers 200+ of the most actively traded companies listed in the UK and European Union, with further listings to be tokenized on a rolling basis. Each asset sits on the same open, programmable rails as every other xStock, backed 1:1 by the underlying shares. The new tokens are available to trade across Kraken and through supporting xStocks Alliance platforms from day one, and are embedded in the DeFi ecosystems where xStocks already trade, including Solana, Ethereum, TON, Ink, X Layer and other chains.

That backing also opens a new demand channel for the underlying public listings. Every xStocks token issued is matched by a purchase of the underlying share, held at a regulated custodian for as long as the token trades, so appetite from onchain investors feeds back into the order books of the publicly listed companies themselves. For investors across the 110+ markets where xStocks are available, it is a route to gain exposure into UK and European capital markets that most previously had no practical way to hold.

"Access to capital markets is still drawn on a map, and it still depends on holding the right passport," said Mark Greenberg, Payward Chief Commercial Officer. "A portfolio should not have borders or trading hours. We are building toward a single global market where any listed company can be held by any investor, whatever their address, their currency, or their local broker. Over 200 UK and European listings onchain today is proof it works. Tokenizing every other international market is the next step."

Today's expansion follows Payward's recent partnership with the London Stock Exchange to advance tokenization, and delivers on plans to tokenize the top 100 London-listed equities as xStocks. In 2027, subject to regulatory approval, the London Stock Exchange intends to list xStocks and start trading them on LSE 24.

The UK and EU are the first expansion markets delivered under Payward Services’ partnership with GTN, which handles global execution and custody of the traditional assets that underpin each token. That structure is what allowed Payward to tokenize and deploy hundreds of new assets as xStocks in a matter of weeks. Hundreds of publicly traded Hong Kong-listed equities will follow in the coming weeks, with further international markets after that.

“Tokenisation moves at the speed of the infrastructure beneath it. By combining GTN's global brokerage and custody infrastructure with the xStocks framework, we are bringing UK- and EU-listed equities to a broader global audience. We believe the future of investing will be defined by greater accessibility, interoperability, and efficiency, and this partnership demonstrates how traditional and digital financial ecosystems can work together to deliver that future at scale,” said Ankit Shah, Global Head of FinTech, GTN.

xStocks launched over a year ago with tokenized representations of US stocks and ETFs, each backed 1:1 by the underlying asset. The framework has grown to span more than 1,500 tokenized assets across stocks, ETFs and IPOs, the widest range offered by any tokenized equities framework, and holds over $1.1 billion in assets under management. Total transaction volume has passed $45 billion, with more than 550,000 unique holders worldwide. Distribution and eligibility are unchanged by today's expansion, and xStocks continue to be unavailable to investors in the United Kingdom.