November 2, 2023

Unlocking Value in the Real World: The Revolutionary Promise of Asset Tokenization

The financial landscape is on the cusp of a revolution, one that promises to redefine wealth, ownership, and investment in profound ways.
Fractional House representing real world assets tokenization

The financial landscape is on the cusp of a revolution, one that promises to redefine wealth, ownership, and investment in profound ways. This revolution is powered by the concept of Real World Asset (RWA) tokenization, a process that stands to democratize investment opportunities, increase transparency, performance and composability while drastically decreasing the costs of transaction settlement.

From Speculation to Substance

The foundational goal of cryptocurrencies and blockchain was never about speculative gains but about charting a course towards a free, decentralized, transparent, accessible, and efficient global economy. 

Despite this, the general public's view of crypto remains skeptical, shaped by stories of rampant speculation rather than transformational use cases.

But the narrative is shifting, and RWAs are at the heart of this shift. With a staggering $867 trillion lying in traditional markets, the potential for blockchain to systematically overhaul global economies is not just significant—it's revolutionary.

Based on DeFiLlama data, the TVL (Total Value Locked) of the Real World Assets category increased from $757 million at the beginning of 2023 to $5.8 billion at the end of October 2023. 

A growth of more than 660%!

In the face of such growth, let's take an in-depth look at what Real World Assets Tokenization is, trends, and opportunities in the market.

Have you considered the power of blockchain for your business? Reach out to us to explore how RWA tokenization can unlock new value.

How Tokenization Works: A Closer Look

The process of tokenization begins with assets—tangible and intangible. While assets like cryptocurrencies can be bought in fractions, many traditional assets, like stocks or real estate, are not as divisible or accessible to everyone. Tokenization breaks down these barriers by converting these assets into digital tokens, offering fractional ownership and increased liquidity.

Consider stocks. Traditional investing might require purchasing whole units at a time, creating a high barrier for entry. But what if you could own a fraction of a share? Tokenization makes this possible, enabling investments that align precisely with an investor's budget.

With tokenization, brokers can acquire assets and issue tokens that represent a stake in the underlying asset. 

These tokens can then be traded, bought, and sold on a blockchain, providing numerous benefits:

  • Dynamism: once created, the asset could be traded and mined by any person with a wallet.
  • Performance: the ability to create a fragmentable asset would allow even small investors to purchase it. This could potentially raise more capital more quickly due to the ease of buying and selling.
  • Cost reduction: the absence or reduction of intermediaries would significantly lower the cost of managing some assets, increasing market demand for them.
  • Transparency: since these assets are carried on open source technology, various investors or regulators could see 24/7 the status of an asset via public block explorers or data dashboards.
  • Composability: through the use of DeFi's platforms, these assets could unlock extra functionality given by the composability accessible in various protocols, consequently increasing the achievable returns and use cases for investors.

Wondering how to leverage Real World Assets Tokenization for your business? Get in touch and take the first step towards tokenizing your assets.

RWA Tokenization: Solving Problems and Creating Opportunities

Even if the average person does not delve into the complexities of financial systems, his or her daily life is invariably intertwined with financial instruments. 

Fiat money is the lifeblood of daily commerce and personal savings: it is what people work and spend for. Commodities are the foundation of consumption and production, fundamental to life and the engine of the economy. Securities are the building blocks of fundraising and the creation of businesses that provide goods and services to the market: they fuel society's progress and prosperity.

Despite its evolution, the system continues to be hampered by fragmented and isolated recordkeeping that requires reconciliation, resulting in higher costs and longer transaction times. This lack of integration, coupled with fragmented liquidity, signals a crucial time for transformation: the dawn of asset tokenization represents the frontier of the financial sector's future.

The landscape of RWAs is diverse, encompassing various categories:

  • Secured interbank deposits: These platforms facilitate loans to entities that are able and willing to pledge collateral, which can be in the form of tokenized assets or through interbank deposits.
  • Credit assignment: This tool allows traditional entities to make loans through DeFi by assigning credit. In essence, these platforms act as intermediaries, allowing entities to sell their short-term or long-term credit rights to obtain immediate liquidity.
  • Stocks and debt: Here, the focus is on tokenizing government and corporate stocks and bonds, often with the benefit of dividend payouts. These tokenized assets are then traded in secondary markets before their maturity, providing the stability of conventional assets with lower risks of default and volatility. They also offer passive income opportunities through stock dividends or periodic coupon payments on bonds.
  • Real estate: Tokenization in real estate involves the conversion of real estate assets into digital tokens that generate passive income through rentals or can be used as collateral for loans on other DeFi platforms.
  • Commodities: Commodities such as gold and silver are tokenized by third-party companies to create a liquid, marketable version of these physical assets, with companies acting as custodians.
  • Luxury and collectibles: High-value items such as luxury watches, works of art, designer clothes, fine wines, and collectibles are tokenized, allowing them to be used as collateral. The supervisory company essentially functions as a high-end pawn shop, offering credit against these assets and liquidating them in the market if the necessary conditions are met or exceeded.
  • Carbon credits: for companies that exceed a certain emissions threshold, tokenized carbon credits are a mandatory purchase to avoid penalties, incentivizing carbon footprint reduction. These credits can be traded, allowing companies to manage their environmental impact and participate in the carbon credit market.

Envisioning a Tokenized Future: Exploring Potential Use Cases

Let’s transport ourselves to a future where your salary, investment portfolio, and even your employment contracts are all seamlessly integrated into the blockchain. The possibilities this presents are immense:

  • Automated Finance: Imagine smart contracts managing your earnings, automatically sorting out taxes and contributions.
  • Employment NFTs: Your employment contract could be transformed into a non-fungible token, which could potentially be appraised for creditworthiness.
  • Instant Loans: Access to credit could become instant and automated, with repayments managed directly through your digital wallet.

The potential scenarios are endless, all based on the adoption and integration of RWA tokenization into our everyday lives.

Is your business ready to embrace a tokenized future? Connect with us to unlock the transformative potential of your assets.

RWA tokenization is more than just a financial trend; it’s a gateway to a new economic paradigm that champions inclusivity, efficiency, and transparency. The potential use cases for RWA tokenization are infinite, ranging from creating more liquid markets for traditionally illiquid assets to enabling individuals to invest in fractions of real estate, art, or even intellectual property.

The vision for the future is audacious: a world where every tangible and intangible asset can be tokenized.

Are you ready to be part of this exciting journey?

Sources:

  • Tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs): Scaling Onchain Finance to a Global Level - Chainlink
  • World Economic Forum: Blockchain Could Disrupt $867T in Traditional Markets - CoinDesk
  • RWA Tokenization: What Does it Mean to Tokenize Real-World Assets? - CoinDesk
  • Real World Asset (RWA) - The Crypto Gateway