Coinbase debuts tokenized stocks on Base network, joining race to bring equities on blockchain
Coinbase has launched tokenized versions of major U.S. stocks like Apple and Nvidia on its Base blockchain network, allowing eligible non-U.S. investors to trade equities on-chain. These tokens are backed 1:1 by shares held by Alpaca and regulated under Abu Dhabi Global Market standards, enabling integration with decentralized finance applications.
Why it matters
This move represents a significant step in the institutional adoption of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, potentially bridging the gap between traditional equity markets and 24/7 decentralized finance liquidity.
The rollout starts with some of the biggest names in the U.S. market: Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), Meta (META) and Alphabet (GOOGL). The tokens are available to eligible investors outside the U.S. and represent shares held 1:1 with Alpaca, a regulated broker and custodian, according to a Base blog post .
The stock tokens are issued under Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) regulation, where Coinbase recently established its international tokenization hub.
Coinbase said more stocks will follow the initial batch.
The rollout comes as tokenization is gathering steam across asset classes. Banks and asset managers have already moved tens of billions of dollars of U.S. Treasuries, private credit and investment funds onchain, RWA.xyz data shows. The potential market is sizable: Citi has projected that tokenized securities could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030.
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