Tokenized US Stocks & ETFs Expand to Binance
Ondo Finance has partnered with Binance to offer wider access to tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, including blue chips like Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla. This move further bridges TradFi and DeFi, enabling 24/7 trading and on-chain composability for traditional equities.
This marks Binance's return to offering tokenized equities after a nearly five-year hiatus. The exchange previously launched stock tokens in April 2021, including for Tesla and Apple, but halted the service within months due to scrutiny from regulators in the U.K. and Germany over potential securities law violations. The new offering is structured as a partnership, with Ondo Finance acting as the issuer of the tokenized securities, while Binance provides the trading platform and distribution. This collaboration suggests a more cautious approach, leaning on a specialized and regulated firm to handle the creation of these digital assets. The service is notably unavailable to U.S. users. The tokenized stocks are listed on Binance Alpha, a platform within the Binance Wallet designed for early-stage and higher-risk digital assets, separate from the main exchange. Regulatory approval for these offerings was secured from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in Abu Dhabi. Ondo Finance has established itself as a significant player in the real-world asset (RWA) tokenization sector, with its total value locked surpassing $550 million and cumulative trading volume exceeding $11 billion since September 2025. The firm leverages institutional-grade infrastructure, including BlackRock's tokenized fund, BUIDL, to back some of its products like the Ondo Short-Term US Government Treasuries (OUSG). This initiative is part of a broader industry trend of tokenizing real-world assets, with the total market capitalization for the sector approaching $1 billion. Other major exchanges like Kraken are also expanding their offerings, recently launching regulated tokenized equities perpetual futures for non-U.S. clients. The tokenization of securities aims to provide fractional ownership, global accessibility for non-U.S. investors, and 24/7 trading, which is a significant departure from traditional stock market hours. Each token is designed to be backed 1:1 by the underlying security, mirroring its price performance and dividends.
