Coinbase is taking another step toward the convergence of traditional finance and decentralized technologies. Tokenized stocks are now available on the Base L2 network for users outside the United States, and this event could become a turning point for the entire digital asset ecosystem.
In the first phase, the issuance covers fractional shares of two technology giants—Apple and Nvidia. Each issued token represents a direct claim on a real share, securely held by the regulated broker and custodian Alpaca. This approach ensures legal clarity and transparency, which is critical for institutional adoption.
Opportunities for holders
The new offering opens up a wide range of use cases. Assets can be held in non-custodial wallets, preserving full user control over funds. Moreover, the tokens are already integrated with key DeFi protocols: trading is available on the decentralized exchange Aerodrome, and using them as collateral in the Aave lending protocol adds liquidity and flexibility.
In the coming weeks, Coinbase plans to expand the lineup by adding new stocks and tokenized real-world assets. This is just the beginning of a major transformation.
My view as an analyst: This move demonstrates market maturity and growing demand for synthetic assets in DeFi. However, regulatory uncertainty for non-U.S. jurisdictions remains a key challenge. If Coinbase manages to build a scalable model, we will witness a new standard for tokenizing traditional financial instruments.