xStocks Lands Natively on Monad—Krakens Offspring Picks a New Chain to Call Home 🏠

xStocks, the tokenized equity platform operated by Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, has announced a native deployment on the Monad blockchain, bringing more than 1,100 tokenized US stocks and exchange-traded funds onto the high-throughput EVM-compatible network. Val Gui of xStocks disclosed the integration on stage at Monad's Open conference in Singapore on October 6, 2026, positioning the move as a direct bid for real-world asset liquidity on next-generation chains.

Unlike a conventional bridge integration, the deployment is structured as native issuance, meaning xStocks tokens will be minted and settled directly on Monad rather than represented through wrapped assets on a secondary layer. The setup is designed to allow decentralized exchanges, lending markets, and wallets operating on the chain to route equity exposure without relying on cross-chain infrastructure.

The timing coincides with separate Aave governance deliberations over a proposed Aave V4 deployment on Monad centered on an xStocks-based tokenized-equities hub, which would extend the integration into decentralized lending markets if approved by Aave token holders.

xStocks, developed by Payward, offers tokenized versions of US equities and ETFs that trade onchain, and its selection of Monad adds a high-throughput EVM network to the list of chains supporting the product. Monad's team has marketed the network as a performance-focused layer compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine, targeting decentralized finance and real-world asset applications.

The launch was unveiled at Monad's Open conference in Singapore on October 6, 2026, with Val Gui representing xStocks on stage. Payward, the operator of Kraken, continues to expand the xStocks distribution footprint as competition intensifies among tokenization providers seeking to anchor equity and ETF exposure on public blockchains.