The firm has previously cleared or held custody of approximately 94% of tokenized U.S. equities and currently manages over $1.5 billion in underlying stocks.
By Francisco Rodrigues|Edited by Jamie CrawleyUpdated Jul 16, 2026, 2:40 p.m. Published Jul 16, 2026, 2:19 p.m. 1 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on SummaryShow- Alpaca has raised $135 million to bolster its infrastructure for tokenized stocks, linking traditional U.S. equities with blockchain settlement systems.
- The firm has cleared or held custody of about 94% of tokenized U.S. equities and currently manages more than $1.5 billion in underlying stocks.
- Despite advancements in tokenization, regulated entities must still maintain the underlying shares and handle corporate actions, presenting a significant market limitation.
Crypto brokerage firm Alpaca has secured $135 million to enhance the systems used by exchanges and tokenization platforms, enabling the on-chain trading of U.S. stocks.
This funding round, led by Peak XV, included contributions from Elefund, BNP Paribas’ Opera Tech Ventures, and Unbound, as announced on Thursday. This latest round follows a $150 million Series D funding in January, which valued Alpaca at $1.15 billion.
Debt financing, primarily from Kraken's parent company Payward and BMO, increased the total funding to $435 million.
Alpaca manages or holds custody of approximately 94% of tokenized U.S. equities, including offerings linked to major players such as Binance, Ondo, and Dinari. The company reported that it has over $1.5 billion in underlying stocks backing the tokenized equities facilitated through its infrastructure.
This funding highlights a critical limitation in the tokenized equities sector, as moving a stock to the blockchain does not eliminate the necessity for a regulated firm to possess the underlying shares, manage corporate actions, and link blockchain transactions to conventional markets.
Alpaca's Instant Tokenization Network enables market participants to mint and redeem tokenized stocks against the underlying shares continuously. This system often combines blockchain-based stock exposure with stablecoin funding or redemption, linking equities to crypto’s 24/7 settlement capabilities.
The market for tokenized equities expanded nearly 3,000% in 2025, achieving roughly $963 million in market value by January. Competition has intensified as Coinbase, Kraken, and other crypto firms have increasingly ventured into on-chain assets.
Alpaca did not reveal a new valuation in its announcement. CoinDesk has reached out to Alpaca for further comments.
FundraisingFunding RoundsTokenizationLatest Crypto News- 1Crypto for Advisors: Strengthening defenses against AI fraud8 minutes ago
- 2Ledger wants AI agents to manage crypto without holding your keys2 hours ago
- 3Galaxy targets institutional stablecoin yield with new DeFi vaults3 hours ago
- 4The most popular bitcoin call option has slipped by $10,0003 hours ago
- 5Inside the high-stakes race to build an open financial system specifically for AI bots3 hours ago
- 6Bitcoin pulls back to $64,000 after hitting monthly high as bears take control4 hours ago
- 7Tether invests $20 million in Argentine neobank Ualá as it expands Latin America push4 hours ago
- 8U.S. adds four Iran central bank crypto wallets to sanctions, Tether freezes $131 million of contents4 hours ago
- 9Live updates: Bitcoin holding $64,000 as AI momentum stocks continue to tumble8 hours ago
- 10U.S. Senate unanimously opposes clemency for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried9 hours ago
Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months
Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months
CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
By CoinDesk ResearchJul 13, 2026CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
Why it matters:
CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.
View Full ReportMore From Finance