Two major cryptocurrency exchanges moved to bridge traditional equity markets and digital assets on October 13, 2026, underscoring the accelerating tokenization of real-world assets.
Bitget introduced its rToken Stock Transfer feature, enabling users to move eligible U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs from external brokerage accounts into tokenized rTokens. The service supports more than 3,000 assets through a two-step process: users initiate a Free of Payment transfer to Bitget’s designated Alpaca omnibus account, and Bitget’s In-Kind Tokenization Network converts the received shares into rTokens credited to spot accounts. Inbound transfers are free, with processing estimated at about 10 business days; outbound transfers incur a fee.
Bitget said eligible rTokens can be used for spot trading and may qualify for margin trading, borrowing, lending and yield products depending on eligibility. As of July 6, rToken assets under management had reached roughly $114 million, with cumulative transactions exceeding two million. CEO Gracy Chen said the next step after access is making tokenized assets more useful, including as collateral for other trading activities. Bitget is also offering a $1 million rSPCX promotional pool, with rewards of $200, $800, or $2,000 for qualifying first transfers of $5,000, $20,000, or $50,000.
Separately, Bybit added direct access to more than 1,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs for eligible international traders, with all equity trades settling in USDC. The underlying securities are managed by Alpaca Securities LLC, providing actual equity ownership through a regulated brokerage model. Bybit highlighted that users can trade major names such as Apple, NVIDIA, Tesla, Micron, and the Invesco QQQ ETF without converting crypto into fiat via traditional banking channels. The exchange said the move serves more than 80 million users by unifying digital asset trading, payments, and traditional investment products under one account.
Together, the launches illustrate how exchanges are moving beyond tokenized access and toward using stablecoin settlement, lending, and collateral systems to integrate traditional securities with crypto capital markets.
