Telegram Wallet Launches “US Market” Service for Users in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Telegram Wallet announced the pilot launch of its new “US Market” service in Uzbekistan, giving users the ability to invest in popular U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) directly within the messenger.

The dedicated section in Wallet will feature over 60 tokenized stocks and funds. The pilot launch, overseen by the National Agency for Projects and Programs (NAPP), begins in March 2026 and will run for one month. The initiative is implemented with support from Uzbekistan’s largest crypto exchange, Asterium.

The service allows users to buy, sell, hold, and transfer tokenized versions of major U.S. companies’ stocks, including Apple, Tesla, Netflix, and Amazon, as well as ETFs tracking U.S. market indices such as the S&P 500—without opening separate accounts or using traditional investment platforms. According to Statista, global stock market capitalization is projected to reach US$143.22 trillion in 2026.

Financial inclusion in Uzbekistan has already improved significantly: more than 60% of the population hold an account with a bank or other financial institution (Global Findex 2025). Key barriers to account ownership remain low income, distance to bank branches, and high costs of financial services. Innovations like Telegram Wallet’s “US Market” aim to overcome these barriers and make investing accessible to a broader audience.

Wallet integrates investment functionality directly into the messenger, used daily by millions of people. Users can invest from as little as US$1, significantly lowering the entry threshold for retail investors. Andrey Rogozov, founder and CEO of The Open Platform (TOP) and Telegram Wallet, stated: “By integrating tokenized stocks into Telegram, we are giving millions of people a real opportunity to access global financial markets. Telegram users in Uzbekistan can now buy tokenized shares of leading U.S. companies where they already communicate, pay, and manage digital services.”

Diyorbek Mukhammedov, Regional Director of Wallet in Uzbekistan, emphasized that the “US Market” launch provides easy access to global investment instruments and integrates investing into the familiar Telegram ecosystem. “We see strong interest in investing, but high entry barriers often deter people. Our goal is to make investing understandable, accessible, and familiar,” he said.

The product operates through Wallet’s integration with the xStocks platform and partnership with the Kraken crypto exchange. xStocks’ assets are issued by Backed, providing regulated access to tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs with 1:1 backing. Trading is available 24 hours a day, five days a week, with instant settlements and fractional investing, making it accessible even to beginner users.

Arjun Seti, co-CEO of Kraken, noted that the launch demonstrates how tokenization can safely open global financial markets to a wider audience, particularly in emerging markets.

Previously, in October 2025, Wallet made tokenized stocks and funds available to a global audience. Now, the service is accessible to 27 million users in Uzbekistan following the NAPP license granted in December 2025. Wallet’s main goal is to make financial instruments as easy and accessible to use as the messenger itself.