SKN | Binance Revives Tokenized Equities Ambitions Five Years After First Attempt

Keypoints:

Binance confirmed it is exploring the reintroduction of tokenized equities, marking a strategic shift after halting stock tokens in 2021.
The exchange says its renewed push is tied to progress in regulated real-world asset tokenization and stablecoin-settled trading products.
The move comes as major crypto platforms revisit tokenized stocks amid evolving regulatory frameworks.

Binance Signals Return to Tokenized Stocks

Binance has confirmed plans to revisit tokenized equities, reopening a chapter it closed nearly five years ago under intense regulatory scrutiny. The exchange said exploring digital representations of stocks is now a “natural next step” in its effort to bridge traditional finance and crypto markets.

If implemented, the move would mark Binance’s first return to stock-linked digital assets since July 2021, when it shut down its initial stock token offering amid pressure from regulators in Europe and the U.K.

Lessons From the 2021 Shutdown

Binance first launched tokenized equities in April 2021, offering blockchain-based exposure to companies such as Tesla, Coinbase, Apple, Microsoft and MicroStrategy. The products allowed users to trade price exposure without directly holding the underlying shares.

That experiment was short-lived. German financial regulators questioned whether the products constituted unlicensed securities, while the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority ordered Binance to halt regulated activity in June 2021. Within weeks, Binance announced it would cease support for all stock tokens.

A Changed Regulatory Backdrop

Binance argues the environment today looks materially different. Since 2024, the exchange has expanded into tokenized real-world assets and recently launched regulated traditional-finance perpetual contracts settled in stablecoins. According to the company, these developments provide a more compliant foundation for revisiting tokenized equities.

Internal signals also hinted at this direction. In December, updates to Binance’s application programming interface suggested preparations for equity-linked features, though the exchange stopped short of confirming plans at the time.

Tokenized Equities Return to the Spotlight

Binance is not alone in reconsidering tokenized stocks. Across the industry, exchanges and infrastructure providers are reassessing on-chain representations of equities as regulators clarify rules around custody, settlement and investor protection. U.S.-based platforms, including Coinbase, have also been reported to be exploring similar offerings.

If Binance proceeds, the relaunch would underscore a broader shift in crypto’s evolution, where tokenized equities are no longer treated as speculative experiments, but as a potential core component of next-generation financial markets built on blockchain rails.