Coinbase Puts Tokenized Stocks on Base Platform

Coinbase has launched tokenized stocks on its Base platform, allowing users to hold fractional shares of real equity in a self-custody wallet. The feature, which is available globally except for the US, UK, and Canada, starts with Apple and Nvidia shares.

Each token corresponds to a share held by Alpaca, a regulated broker and custodian, and holders have a direct claim on that share rather than exposure to a derivative tracking its price. This means that users can trade or post their tokens as collateral without worrying about dividend payouts or stock splits affecting the value of their holding.

The launch comes just days after Robinhood's own layer-2 chain was revealed, which also offers tokenized stocks among other features. Coinbase's move has been seen as a way to circumvent regulatory hurdles in the US, where similar offerings are still pending approval.