Standard Chartered: The DeFi market will grow to $2.7 trillion by 2030 — what’s behind the forecast?
Analysts at Standard Chartered have presented an ambitious forecast: the total value locked (TVL) in decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols could reach $2.7 trillion by the end of 2030. This represents a 37-fold increase from current levels. The main catalysts for this explosive growth will be tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and the evolution of on-chain infrastructure.
Currently, according to my data, only about 3% of all stablecoins and 10% of RWAs are utilized in DeFi. The key takeaway I draw from the experts' analysis is that by 2030, the share of these assets used in protocols could grow to 30%. This would require a ninefold increase in the share of tokenized value in the DeFi sector — a massive challenge, but not impossible given institutional adoption.
Liquidity and Tokenization Challenges
However, not everything is smooth sailing. As I note in my market observations, experts warn of serious risks. For example, Chris Kim, head of Axis, points to the problem of liquidity fragmentation: issuing the same asset on different blockchains creates fragmented pools and increases operational costs. This hinders scaling.
Furthermore, Oya Celiktemur, Director of Sales at Ondo Finance, rightly notes that tokenization itself is not a "magic wand." It does not automatically turn illiquid assets into liquid ones — deep markets and efficient pricing mechanisms are required for that.
Uniswap as a Hub for RWA Trading
The Standard Chartered report particularly highlights Uniswap as a potential hub for RWA trading. Geoffrey Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research, emphasizes that institutions will choose this platform due to its reputation, security, and transparency. In his assessment, partnerships with traditional finance (TradFi) will help Uniswap close the market capitalization gap with the centralized exchange Coinbase.
This trend is also confirmed by the broader context: previously, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan stated that financial advisors have shifted their interest from Bitcoin to stablecoins and RWAs. In June, Citi also forecasted the tokenization market to grow to $5.5 trillion. All of this indicates that we are on the brink of a new era — the convergence of DeFi and traditional finance.
My comment: The $2.7 trillion forecast looks realistic, but only if issues with liquidity and regulatory clarity are resolved. Without unified tokenization standards and cross-chain compatibility, growth could stall. However, if institutions truly enter DeFi through platforms like Uniswap, we will see not just a rise in TVL, but a fundamental restructuring of the entire financial system.