The tokenized asset market surged by 40%: $51 billion and a record influx of holders
The sector of tokenized real-world assets (RWA) is showing impressive momentum: since the beginning of the year, its total market capitalization has increased by 40%, reaching $51 billion. This growth occurs against the backdrop of a general correction in the crypto market, highlighting sustained demand for instruments that bridge traditional finance with blockchain.
A key metric reflecting the sector's maturity is the explosive growth in the number of participants. The number of unique holders of RWA tokens has increased by 60% over the same period, exceeding 917,000 addresses. Leaders in terms of locked asset volume remain the Figure platform with $18.9 billion and Securitize, managing assets worth $4.3 billion. These figures confirm that institutional players are actively adopting tokenization to optimize processes.
Structure and Growth Drivers
Analysis of capital distribution within the sector reveals a clear hierarchy: private lending accounts for 47% of the market, US Treasury bonds for 30%, and precious metals for 9%. The most dynamic segment, however, turned out to be tokenized equities, whose volume grew by 130% over the past six months, reaching $1.6 billion. Main activity is concentrated in two blockchain networks: Provenance (39% market share) and Ethereum (33%).
Based on current trends, three key models of equity tokenization can be identified. The first is infrastructure-based, where brokers like Robinhood purchase shares and issue tokens backed by them, enabling 24/7 trading but without transferring voting rights. The second is the settlement layer, where blockchain replaces traditional accounting systems, and projects like Figure and Securitize create regulated stacks with full ownership rights for investors. The third is a hybrid model proposed by Coinbase, which combines stocks, derivatives, and crypto assets into a single "exchange of everything" for users outside the US.
Regulatory Direction and Prospects
The further evolution of RWA directly depends on the SEC's stance. The regulator has already given the green light to pilot projects by NYSE and Nasdaq for trading tokenized securities. A key catalyst, in my opinion, will be the introduction of a so-called "innovation exemption," which would legalize internal trading of such assets in the US. This would open the floodgates for a massive influx of liquidity.
Notable is the explosive growth in monthly transaction volume in the tokenized equities segment: from $500 million in September last year to $5.3 billion in June this year. Such dynamics indicate that the market is in a phase of hypergrowth, and we are only witnessing the first steps toward full integration of traditional assets into the decentralized economy.
Expert opinion: The current growth of RWA is not a speculative bubble but a fundamental shift in the structure of financial markets. Tokenization solves the liquidity problem of illiquid assets, and I expect that by the end of 2025, the volume of this sector could double, especially if US regulators adopt a proactive stance.