Ledger and Kraken parent company Payward are bringing the crypto concept of cold storage to tokenized stocks through a new partnership connecting Ledger hardware wallets with Payward’s xStocks platform. The collaboration will eventually allow eligible investors to buy, sell and move hundreds of tokenized equities while maintaining control of their private keys instead of leaving the assets entirely on an exchange.
Tokenized Stocks Meet Hardware Wallets
Ledger and Payward, the parent company of Kraken, announced the strategic partnership on September 24 as the two companies work to connect self-custody with traditional financial markets.
At the center of the partnership is xStocks, Payward’s platform for tokenized versions of U.S. stocks and ETFs.
Payward says the platform has already surpassed $42 billion in total transaction volume, and the companies are now working to integrate xStocks more deeply into Ledger Wallet.
The partnership will eventually give users access to:
- Hundreds of tokenized U.S. and international equities through xStocks
- Self-custody using Ledger hardware devices
- Hardware-based signing for supported Kraken transactions
- Crypto buying, selling and swaps inside Ledger Wallet through Payward Services
- Institutional trading, custody, payments and funding infrastructure through Ledger Enterprise and Payward
What Does Cold Storage Mean for Stocks?
Cold storage has traditionally been associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
Instead of leaving private keys on an internet-connected exchange or software wallet, investors can use hardware wallets to keep the keys needed to authorize transactions isolated from online systems.
Tokenization now allows a similar concept to be applied to stock exposure.
Kraken says xStocks are backed 1:1 by their underlying equities and can be withdrawn to compatible self-custody wallets. Once withdrawn, investors control the blockchain tokens themselves instead of keeping them entirely within the exchange environment.
The Ledger partnership adds a dedicated hardware security layer to that process.
Ledger Can Become the Final Approval Step
The partnership goes beyond simply storing tokenized assets.
Ledger and Payward are developing an integration that will allow Kraken customers to use Ledger devices to sign transactions involving funding, withdrawals and other supported actions.
This means a physical Ledger device can become an additional authorization step before a transaction is completed. The companies are developing the system using Ledger’s Device Management Kit and Clear Signing technology, which is designed to show users what they’re approving before they sign.
For investors concerned about compromised exchange credentials, adding physical confirmation can create another barrier between an attacker and the movement of assets.
These Aren’t Traditional Shares
There’s an important difference between owning an xStock and owning the traditional stock it represents.
Kraken says xStocks provide price exposure to an underlying security but do not provide shareholder rights such as voting. Dividend payments are reflected by automatically increasing the holder’s balance of the corresponding token rather than distributing a traditional cash dividend.
For example, an investor holding a tokenized version of Apple shares has blockchain-based economic exposure to Apple stock but doesn’t become a conventional Apple shareholder through that token.
Availability is also geographically restricted.
Kraken currently says xStocks are available only to eligible non-U.S. retail customers in selected markets and are not available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom or Australia.
Payward Keeps Expanding xStocks
The Ledger partnership is another step in Payward’s aggressive expansion of tokenized equities.
During 2026, Payward has expanded xStocks across additional blockchain networks and wallets while striking agreements with traditional financial institutions. The company has also recently announced collaborations involving Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange as it builds infrastructure around tokenized capital markets.
The Ledger agreement attacks the market from another direction—custody.
Instead of focusing only on where tokenized stocks can trade, Payward is expanding how investors can control and secure those assets once they own them.
Ledger Eyes More Tokenized Stock Platforms
Ledger’s ambitions may extend beyond Payward.
Ledger executive Sebastien Badault told Fortune that the company has held discussions with Coinbase, Binance and Robinhood about potential integrations involving their tokenized-stock products. No agreements with those companies have been announced.
That could become increasingly important if tokenized equities continue spreading across exchanges and blockchain networks.
The bigger shift is that self-custody is beginning to move beyond cryptocurrency. Bitcoin introduced the idea that individuals could personally control digital financial assets through private keys. Tokenized stocks are now bringing that model closer to traditional markets, and Ledger and Payward are betting investors will eventually want to secure stocks with hardware in much the same way crypto holders secure Bitcoin today.
