Tokenized Real-World Assets Surge Toward $30 Billion Mark

Chainalysis says institutional credit and specialty finance are leading the expansion of blockchain-based financial instruments, with some categories reaching $1 billion in value in months rather than years, as regulatory clarity and new infrastructure accelerate adoption across traditional markets

Tokenized real-world assets are moving from niche crypto experiments into mainstream institutional finance, with the market now approaching $30 billion in total assets under management, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

In a report preview seen by Impact Newswire, Chainalysis said the growth of tokenized assets such as bonds, credit products, commodities and funds is being driven primarily by institutional capital rather than retail investors, marking what it described as a structural shift in adoption.

“The tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market is growing rapidly, with institutional asset categories such as asset-backed credit leading this growth and reaching $1 billion in market value faster than retail categories, such as commodities and stocks,” the report said.

Tokenized RWAs are digital representations of traditional financial instruments issued on blockchain networks. They include assets such as U.S. Treasury debt, private credit funds, equities and commodities, which can be traded and settled on-chain.

Chainalysis said total RWA assets are “approaching $30 billion in total assets under management (AUM),” but growth is uneven across categories, with institutional products expanding faster than retail-facing assets.

The report reveals that asset-backed credit reached $1 billion in market value in about 6.1 months from issuance, while specialty finance took 21.5 months. Commodities took 36.2 months to reach the same milestone, and tokenized stocks have yet to hit $1 billion.

“This rapid capital formation suggests that large financial entities are deploying capital at scale once regulatory and technical infrastructure permits,” the report said.

Chainalysis pointed to increased regulatory clarity, including the passage of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, which established a federal framework for payment stablecoins, as a key catalyst for institutional adoption.

“Spurred by progressive market structure dialogues, emerging mandates for on-chain capital markets, and updated compliance thresholds that clarify how institutions can safely custody and report digital assets, a massive surge of capital has entered the RWA space,” the study shows.

The firm said Ethereum wallet data shows a sharp increase in new addresses created specifically to hold tokenized assets in late 2025 and early 2026, suggesting RWAs are becoming a primary entry point into blockchain markets for institutions.

“RWAs aren’t reserved for advanced users and use cases; instead, they are a key reason why institutions come on-chain in the first place,” it explains.

Chainalysis highlights that nearly all addresses holding institutional-grade products such as asset-backed credit received their first token within one week of wallet creation, indicating purpose-built infrastructure for professional investors.

Retail-oriented tokenized assets, including commodities and stocks, showed broader participation from older crypto-native wallets, the report said.

The report also pointed to early signs of convergence between on-chain and traditional markets. It said trading volumes of tokenized gold have historically shown weak correlation with traditional gold markets but have begun to move more closely in line since mid-2025.

“While on-chain volumes do not yet track traditional paper markets perfectly, the upward trend in correlation between tokenized gold and GLD indicates that the market is maturing.”

It added that as liquidity deepens, “on-chain infrastructure for trading, holding, and settling real-world assets is functioning efficiently,” and institutions that integrate tokenization early could gain a competitive advantage.

Chainalysis said the shift suggests digital asset infrastructure is increasingly being used not just for payments or speculation, but as a parallel system for traditional financial markets.

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