Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, is partnering with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) to bring 100 of the UK’s biggest companies on-chain. These digital assets will launch as xStocks tokens, each fully backed 1:1 by the underlying shares.

Access and Restrictions

xStocks tokens are set to roll out for both retail and institutional investors in over 110 countries through Kraken and the xStocks Alliance network. Due to regulatory hurdles, UK residents won’t be able to trade these tokens just yet.

Trading on LSE 24 Outside Regular Hours

Once they get the green light from regulators, the digital shares are expected to be listed on the new LSE 24 platform, letting investors trade outside of normal market hours.

LSE’s Future Plans

Looking ahead, the London Stock Exchange plans to issue securities natively on blockchain from the start.