We’re excited to announce that Bitso, the leading digital financial services company in Latin America, has launched xStocks in Argentina. xStocks are powered by Payward’s industry-leading framework, accessible directly from the Bitso app.
With this launch, the initial rollout includes 10 tokenized assets: AAPLx, AMZNx, GOOGLx, METAx, MSFTx, NFLXx, NVDAx, QQQx, SPYx, and TSLAx.
Each xStock tracks the price of its underlying asset on a 1:1 basis and is backed accordingly, providing transparent, verifiable exposure to global equities within a familiar trading environment.
Access to global markets without traditional barriers
For most Argentines, gaining access to U.S. capital markets has historically involved a lengthy and complex process: opening a brokerage account, waiting days for approval, dealing with currency restrictions, and operating only during New York Stock Exchange hours.
By integrating xStocks, Bitso enables users to access global markets directly through a platform they already use, removing the need for additional intermediaries or workflows.
Julián Colombo, Bitso’s General Manager for South America: “Argentina has one of the most financially sophisticated populations in Latin America, and yet access to the price of the world’s leading global companies has always been reserved for a few.”
“With xStocks, any Bitso user can gain price exposure to Apple, NVIDIA, or Tesla in seconds, using the digital dollars already in their account. No extra paperwork, starting from 5 dollars, and with no market hours. This is not just a new product: it is a new category for the Argentine market.”
Val Gui, xStocks General Manager:“Wall Street shouldn’t be limited by geography. With xStocks, we’re turning capital markets into global, programmable onchain markets. Our latest integration with Bitso unlocks access and utility for millions of Argentinians, bringing global markets directly into their hands, instantly and without friction.”
What are xStocks and how do they work?
xStocks is the industry-standard framework for tokenized equities, bringing publicly listed U.S. stocks and ETFs onchain through fully collateralized tokens that track the price of their underlying assets on a 1:1 basis.
Since launching in 2025, xStocks has surpassed $25 billion in total transaction volume and over 100,000 unique holders worldwide, reflecting growing global demand for onchain equity exposure.
Designed for interoperability, xStocks integrates across centralized platforms, self-custodied wallets, and onchain applications, unlocking new utility across trading, collateralization, and decentralized finance.
They provide contractual economic exposure rather than direct ownership, with positions typically settled in digital dollars, expanding access to global markets in a flexible, onchain-native format.
Each xStock tracks the price of its reference asset on a 1:1 basis and operates within the Bitso environment using the platform’s existing buy/sell flow, with digital dollars (USDC or USDT) already available in the user’s balance. Positions are settled in USDC or USDT and, in this initial phase, tokens cannot be transferred to external wallets.
Extended hours: 24/7 for the most traded tokens
One of the concrete differentiators of xStocks compared to traditional alternatives is their availability.
Traditional stock markets operate Monday through Friday during New York hours; xStocks significantly expand that access. At launch, six of the ten tokens (AAPLx, NVDAx, TSLAx, SPYx, GOOGLx, and QQQx) are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays.
The remaining four (AMZNx, METAx, MSFTx, and NFLXx) operate on extended 24/5 hours, Monday through Friday, and over time will transition to 24/7 trading. Prices are provided by the xStocks protocol with continuous reference to the underlying market.
For Bitso users in Argentina who already have digital dollars in their account, no additional steps are required: they can trade their first xStock using the same flow as any other operation in the app. Another advantage is fractionalization. There is no need to purchase a whole unit of the asset; positions can be fractionalized starting from just $5 USD.
xStocks are issued by Backed Assets (JE) Limited (a Jersey private limited company) and offered to eligible Kraken customers via Payward Digital Solutions Ltd. (“PDSL”), a company licensed to conduct digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority. In the European Union / European Economic Area, xStocks are offered to eligible customers via Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Ltd. (“PEDLS-CY”), a Cyprus investment firm authorized and regulated under EU MiFID II. xStocks are not registered under the U.S. Securities Act and are not available in the United States or to U.S. persons. xStocks are also not currently available in the United Kingdom or in any other jurisdiction where their offer or distribution would be unlawful or would require regulatory authorization that has not been obtained. Neither PDSL, Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Ltd. (“PEDLS-CY”), nor their respective affiliates provide investment advice or recommendations, PDSL (Kraken) does not provide investment advice and/or recommendations, and no communication, through any Kraken App or website or otherwise, should be construed as such. Individual investors should make their own decisions or seek professional independent advice if they are unsure as to the suitability/appropriateness of any investment for their circumstances or needs, including potential tax treatment. Investing in xStocks involves an element of risk. The value of an investment may go down as well as up, and past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Geo restrictions apply. Read Kraken’s xStocks Risk Disclosure at kraken.com/legal/xstocks as well as the Base Prospectus and related Final Terms for xStocks at https://assets.backed.fi/legal-documentation to learn more.
