%{{tag.tag}} {{articledata.title}} {{moment(articledata.cdate)}} @{{articledata.company.replace(" ","")}} comment Cryptoprowl.com / U.S. stock exchange Nasdaq (NASDAQ: $NDAQ ) is partnering with cryptocurrency exchange Kraken to begin issuing tokenized versions of equities. Under the plan, tokenized shares would give investors the same corporate governance rights as ordinary stockholders, including voting in proxy ballots and receiving cash dividends. Nasdaq said in a regulatory filing that the initiative will focus heavily on making corporate actions, such as dividend payments and proxy voting, more efficient by automating the process through blockchain technology. The new tokenized stocks are expected to be available from Nasdaq in early 2027. Tokenized stocks are digital tokens on a blockchain representing ownership of traditional company shares, typically backed 1:1 by real shares held in a custodian account. Under terms of the new partnership, Kraken will act as a distribution partner for the tokenized stock project. One-to-one tokenized versions of public company shares will be made available to Kraken's customers outside the U.S., particularly in Europe. Nasdaq submitted a proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September of last year seeking approval to allow tokenized versions of its listed stocks. Nasdaq is a technology-heavy stock exchange whose member companies include Apple (NASDAQ: $AAPL ), Amazon (NASDAQ: $AMZN ) and Nvidia (NASDAQ: $NVDA ), among others. Under Nasdaq's proposal, both the tokenized and conventional versions of stocks will be settled through a Depository Trust to ensure they remain interchangeable. Nasdaq's own publicly traded stock has risen 21% over the past 12 months to trade at $88.43 U.S. per share.