Kraken has started allowing eligible users to use select tokenized stocks and ETFs as collateral for futures and margin trading on Kraken Pro. The update gives traders a way to support leveraged crypto positions without selling those tokenized holdings first.
Summary
- Kraken allows ten xStocks as collateral, widening capital use for eligible non-US traders globally today.
- Broad-market ETFs carry lower haircuts, while volatile names like MSTRx and HOODx receive higher discounts.
- Related coverage shows Kraken moving tokenized assets toward collateral, cash management and institutional credit products.
The exchange said 10 xStocks assets are eligible at launch. The list includes SPYx, QQQx, AAPLx, GOOGLx, TSLAx, NVDAx, HOODx, MSTRx, GLDx and CRCLx.
The feature applies only to eligible users outside the United States. Futures collateral is available to eligible clients outside the U.S., including in the European Economic Area. Margin collateral is available to eligible clients outside the U.S., excluding the EEA.
Tokenized shares gain trading use
Tokenized stocks and ETFs are blockchain-based products that track traditional securities. Kraken’s xStocks product gives users exposure to U.S. names such as Apple, Tesla, Nvidia and broad-market ETFs through digital tokens.
Earlier xStocks coverage reported that Kraken has been trying to turn tokenized equities into parallel market rails. The product was described as offering more than 60 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, backed 1:1, with 24/5 trading.
The latest update changes how traders can use those assets. A user who holds NVDAx, for example, may keep that exposure while using the same holding to support a leveraged position, subject to Kraken’s rules.
Kraken said eligible xStocks are recognized automatically as collateral wherever futures and margin trading are available on a user’s account. That means users do not need to move assets into a separate product before using them.
Haircuts and limits control risk
Kraken applies haircuts and collateral limits to each eligible asset. Broad-market ETFs such as SPYx and QQQx have a 10% haircut and a maximum collateral value of $1 million.
Most individual stocks, including AAPLx, GOOGLx, TSLAx and NVDAx, have a 20% haircut and a $250,000 collateral cap. Higher-volatility names such as HOODx and MSTRx carry a 30% haircut, while GLDx and CRCLx have lower collateral limits.
The exchange said these limits and haircuts may change over time. That gives Kraken room to adjust collateral treatment if market volatility, liquidity or risk conditions change.
Kraken also warned that leverage remains risky. The company said, “This is not a risk-free way to access leverage.” If collateral value falls, users may face margin calls or liquidation.
Tokenization push keeps widening
The move fits a wider push to bring traditional assets into crypto trading systems. A recent hackathon report said tokenized stock markets had reached roughly $1.2 billion in market cap, while xStocks had logged more than $25 billion in total transaction volume.
Kraken has also been building collateral and credit products beyond tokenized stocks. In May, Payward and Franklin Templeton announced a partnership to bring tokenized money market products into Kraken’s platform as collateral and cash management tools.
In June, Kraken and Maple launched an institutional lending model using a bankruptcy-remote vehicle for crypto-backed loans. That product focused on structured credit, while the new xStocks update focuses on trader collateral.
The result is a broader trading stack where tokenized assets can do more than track prices. For now, Kraken’s new feature gives eligible users another way to manage collateral, but it also adds leverage risk that traders must monitor closely.
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