Karla Barker 
Standard Chartered has released a forecast suggesting that real-world assets (RWAs) tokenized on blockchain could reach a value of $2 trillion by the year 2028. The bank expects rapid scaling in this area over the next few years, driven largely by growing institutional adoption, improvements in infrastructure, and heightened demand for more efficient capital markets.
Key areas of growth
The bank sees particular potential in tokenized funds, bonds, private credit, and alternative assets. These segments, they argue, could benefit significantly from blockchain technology, especially in traditional markets where issues like slow settlement speeds and limited liquidity remain persistent problems.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has described tokenization as a foundational shift in how financial markets might operate. He stated, “The next generation for markets, the next generation for securities, will be tokenization of securities.” This sentiment echoes through much of the industry. A recent analysis by Binance argues that tokenization represents a transition point for crypto, improving capital efficiency by allowing assets to be used as collateral across trading, lending, and decentralized finance platforms.
Industry leaders weigh in
Prominent crypto figures have made bold claims about tokenization’s potential. Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, has said it could unlock “trillions of dollars” in currently illiquid value. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has stated that “everything that can be tokenized, will be.” Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin added that blockchain systems deliver their greatest value when they represent real-world economic activity rather than purely speculative instruments.
Banks and exchanges are already building shared infrastructure. Standard Chartered has worked with BlackRock and OKX on frameworks that allow tokenized funds to be used as collateral in trading and other financial operations. This kind of collaboration, I think, shows how traditional finance and crypto are slowly finding common ground.
Barriers and future outlook
Tokenization could potentially lower barriers for retail investors by enabling fractional ownership of assets like private credit funds, government securities, and real estate-linked instruments. But access will depend heavily on regulatory frameworks and platform development, which remain uneven across different jurisdictions. Not every country is moving at the same speed.
Most analysts expect tokenization to evolve alongside traditional finance rather than replace it entirely. Banks are likely to keep central roles due to their regulatory relationships and the trust they hold with institutions, while blockchain networks gradually take on more settlement and issuance functions. The adoption will probably unfold gradually across regions and markets, shaped by local regulations and infrastructure readiness.