Dubai: If you’ve ever wanted to invest in Apple or Tesla stock but found the price too high or the process too complex, a new trend could change everything — and it’s powered by blockchain.

Known as tokenised stocks, these digital versions of real-world shares are creating a buzz among crypto users worldwide.

The promise? You’ll be able to buy global stocks instantly, even in small, affordable fractions, directly through your crypto wallet — without the usual middlemen or high fees.

This means you could, in theory, buy a digital token that represents one real share in a company, just like you buy Bitcoin or Ethereum today. That token would live in your wallet and be tradable globally without the usual delays or banking hassles.

For investors, particularly those used to high fees or limited access to foreign markets, this sounds like a revolution.

Global crypto platforms like Kraken, Coinbase, and Robinhood are currently at the forefront of this movement. They’re working to offer tokenised stocks — starting with major US-listed companies — in international markets where local rules allow.

These platforms say the benefits are clear:

Some exchanges even claim tokenised trading could help investors get into blue-chip US stocks at smaller amounts, potentially unlocking big-name shares for more everyday users.

Tokenising a stock isn’t just wrapping it in digital paper. Behind each token is a real share that has to be legally held by a custodian or broker. That means you’re still relying on a middleman, even if it feels more direct.

Even as tokenised stocks gain momentum globally, they remain out of reach for UAE-based investors — at least for now. These products are not currently available through any locally licensed crypto exchanges.

And even if global platforms receive approvals elsewhere, they must still be authorised to operate in the UAE. In the UAE, crypto exchanges fall under different regulators depending on where they operate.

Until these regulators approve tokenised stock trading, UAE investors won’t be able to access such products on UAE-licensed platforms.

This is the big question. Right now, tokenised stock trading is tiny — worth under $400 million globally, according to RWA.xyz — compared to the $120 trillion traditional stock market.

Most investors are already able to buy fractional shares or invest through fast, cheap online brokers. So some analysts wonder: is this innovation solving a real problem, or just crypto’s latest experiment?

Still, the use case could be huge in emerging markets where access to global stocks is limited, or where trust in traditional systems is low. Tokenised assets could open doors to borderless investing in a way that traditional markets can’t.

If you’re in the UAE, this isn’t something you can trade yet. But it’s worth watching — especially if:

Just remember, even if the tech is promising, the rules, protections, and risks around tokenised stocks are still being defined.

Tokenised stocks are still in their early days — more concept than mainstream. But if the pieces come together, they could reshape how the world buys and sells shares. For now, it’s a space to watch, not jump into.