Telegram Wallet Introduces Tokenized Stock Trading Pilot for 27 Million Users Across Uzbekistan Financial Markets

Telegram Wallet debuts tokenized U.S. stock trading in Uzbekistan, allowing users to invest in Apple and Tesla via a pilot with the Asterium exchange.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 5, 2026, 8:56 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Times of Central Asia

Digital Transformation of Central Asian Investment

A landmark digital investment service has launched in Uzbekistan, enabling millions of Telegram users to engage with global financial markets through tokenized securities. Introduced on March 5, the "Crypto Stocks" feature within the Telegram Wallet provides a streamlined interface for trading over 60 different tokenized shares and exchange-traded funds. This one-month pilot program is being executed under the regulatory oversight of Uzbekistan’s National Agency for Prospective Projects, marking a significant step in the country's efforts to modernize its digital economy and broaden financial inclusion.

Strategic Partnerships Drive Market Access

The implementation of this service relies on a sophisticated partnership network involving Asterium, currently recognized as the largest cryptocurrency exchange in Uzbekistan. By integrating with the xStocks platform and the global Kraken exchange, Telegram Wallet allows users to buy, sell, and store tokenized versions of high-value assets such as Amazon, Netflix, and S&P 500 index funds. These assets are issued by Backed and are engineered to maintain a strict one-to-one backing with the underlying U.S. equities, ensuring that the digital tokens reflect the real-time value of the traditional stock market.

Lowering Barriers to Entry for Retail Investors

One of the most transformative aspects of the new service is the ability for users to purchase fractional shares with an initial investment as low as $1. According to Diyorbek Mukhammedov, the regional director for Wallet in Uzbekistan, this low-cost entry point is designed specifically to address the complexity and high fees that typically discourage new investors in the region. By removing the requirement for traditional brokerage accounts and allowing assets to be sent between users as easily as a text message, the platform aims to democratize access to wealth-building tools that were previously reserved for a small elite.