The Token Itself Is an Asset: Three Types of Tokenized Stocks, Which One Suits You?
"Tokenized Stocks: Three Types, Which One Fits You?
For investors outside the US, buying stocks like SpaceX or Nvidia is difficult, requiring brokers, cross-border transfers, and often accredited investor status. Blockchain offers an alternative through tokenized stocks, a term encompassing three distinct products with vastly different ownership, voting, and profit rights.
1. **Full Real Ownership**: Companies like Superstate register native equity directly on-chain (e.g., Solana). Holders are on the official shareholder registry, with full voting rights, dividends, and legal ownership. This offers maximum rights but potentially less DeFi flexibility.
2. **SPV-Backed Tokens (Surrendered Ownership for DeFi Composability)**: Issuers like Backed (xStocks) and Ondo use offshore Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to hold underlying shares 1:1 and issue tracking tokens. Investors get price exposure and dividends (reinvested as more tokens) but hold a claim on the SPV, not direct stock ownership. This enables use as collateral in DeFi protocols (Kamino, Morpho) and 24/7 minting/redemption, but carries SPV counterparty risk (highlighted by the PreStocks collapse).
3. **Perpetual Futures (Pure Price Speculation)**: Platforms like TradeXYZ (on Hyperliquid) and Ostium offer perpetual contracts. These are synthetic derivatives with no underlying stock ownership, using funding rates to track spot prices. They require only a price oracle, allowing extremely fast listing (e.g., SpaceX pre-IPO) and high leverage, attracting speculators. Their trading volume far exceeds tokenized spot products.
The core value of tokens is that they don't need to replicate full stock ownership. Most retail investors never vote. Tokenization creates layered financial tools: full equity for institutions, composable tokens for DeFi users, and perpetuals for leveraged traders."
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