Recent forecasts suggest that the market for real-world assets (RWAs) tokenized on blockchain platforms could more than triple by 2026. As the sector transitions beyond traditional crypto-native applications, increasing mainstream adoption, regulatory clarity, and innovative asset classes are fueling significant growth in this emerging segment of the cryptocurrency industry.
The on-chain RWA market is estimated at over $35 billion, with more than 539,000 holders, and is expected to grow exponentially by 2026. Experts predict RWA market value could increase by three to five times as the industry broadens beyond US Treasury bills to include private credit, mineral rights, energy assets, and more. Regulatory developments, especially in major economies like the U.S., are likely to facilitate wider real-world asset onboarding into blockchain ecosystems. Partnerships such as Plume’s collaboration with Securitize are expanding the reach of institutional-grade tokenized assets into the DeFi ecosystem. While Plume remains outside the top-tier RWA networks, its large user base indicates growing adoption among retail and institutional investors alike.
RWA Market Poised for Exponential Growth
The market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) poised on blockchain is on the brink of dramatic expansion, with forecasts pointing to a more than threefold increase in market value by 2026. Industry insiders, including Chris Yin, CEO of RWA-focused layer-2 blockchain Plume, highlight a recent surge in RWA adoption as a sign of the sector’s rapidly evolving landscape.
Yin notes that the tokenized RWA market initially served mainly crypto-native investors, but he anticipates swift growth across broader asset classes, higher total value, and increased utility. Currently, the majority of RWA value is concentrated in US Treasury bills, but as interest rates fluctuate, investors are exploring alternative high-yield opportunities on-chain, such as private credit, mineral rights, and energy assets.
“We’re already seeing a rise in private credit and other alternative assets like mineral rights, oil, GPUs, and energy on the blockchain,” Yin remarks.
Additional factors, including advancing regulatory frameworks, could accelerate adoption. Countries such as the U.S. are actively crafting legislation around stablecoins and tokenized assets, transitioning these instruments from experimental phases into mainstream financial tools.
Yin underscores that investor demand will begin translating into on-chain purchases, leading to a more vibrant, multi-asset ecosystem in the near future.
Plume Partners with Securitize to Expand Tokenized Asset Reach
In a recent development, Plume announced a partnership with Securitize, a prominent tokenization platform backed by major institutional investors like BlackRock and Morgan Stanley. This collaboration aims to list institutional-grade assets on Plume’s Nest staking protocol, facilitating trading and yield earning on tokenized assets.
The partnership will enable Securitize’s tokenized funds to integrate with Plume’s network, which currently serves over 280,000 RWA holders. The initial assets to be tokenized will be Hamilton Lane funds, with plans to add more from Securitize’s platform across various asset classes in 2026.
Post by Plume on May 17, 2024
Despite not being in the top ten RWA networks by holder count, Plume’s large user base and segment of smaller asset holdings point to a healthy, engaged community of roughly 50% of all RWA holders onchain, holding an estimated $200 million in assets.
Yin emphasizes that this sizable, active user base signifies a meaningful step toward mainstream adoption of tokenized RWAs, as the industry continues to mature and regulatory clarity improves.