- •Vlad Tenev believes all assets will move on-chain
- •Tokenization market still small but growing fast
- •U.S. lags behind in regulation compared to Europe
At the Token2049 conference in Singapore, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev made a striking prediction — tokenization will consume the entire financial system. According to Tenev, we’re heading toward a future where all financial assets, from stocks to bonds, will live on the blockchain. This transformation, he said, will fully merge traditional finance with crypto, creating a more open, accessible, and efficient financial world.
Tokenization refers to turning real‑world assets into digital tokens on a blockchain. While still in its early stages, this concept is gaining ground fast. As of now, the tokenization market is valued at around $32 billion — a tiny slice compared to the $115 trillion global equity market in 2023. But that gap signals the massive growth potential ahead.
Regulation Trails, but Momentum Builds
Tenev pointed out a key challenge to this shift — regulation. He noted that U.S. regulators are falling behind their European counterparts in supporting crypto innovation. This lack of clarity has slowed progress in the United States, while regions like Europe have begun adopting more favorable frameworks for digital finance.
Despite these hurdles, Tenev emphasized that the momentum behind tokenization is “unstoppable.” He believes that as technology evolves and more institutions see the benefits of blockchain‑based finance — such as faster settlement, lower costs, and increased transparency — the shift will accelerate globally.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said at Token2049 in SG that tokenization will consume the entire financial system, putting all assets on-chain and merging traditional finance with crypto. He noted U.S. regulation lags Europe, but the trend is unstoppable. The tokenization market is…
— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) October 2, 2025
Bridging the Gap Between TradFi and Crypto
Robinhood, known for democratizing access to financial markets, is now positioning itself at the center of this coming shift. Tenev’s comments reflect a growing belief among fintech leaders that blockchain will not just supplement traditional systems, but eventually replace them.
As tokenization progresses, we may see a future where your stock portfolio, real estate, and even government bonds are all represented as tokens on a secure, transparent blockchain. The gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) is narrowing fast — and Robinhood plans to be a major player in that convergence.