Tokenization Boom Takes Center Stage at Davos 2026 as Market Exceeds $21 Billion
Almost 4 days into the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the strongest and most constant theme for crypto has been the tokenization of real-world belongings (RWAs).
The occasion commenced on Monday, January 19, 2026, and can go on till Friday, January 23, with extra Binance founder and former CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), additionally within the lineup.
Tokenization Emerges as Crypto’s Dominant Theme at Davos 2026
WEF-related publications proceed to explain 2026 as an “inflection level” for digital belongings. They argue that blockchain has moved past pilot applications and into reside manufacturing.
Rather than revisiting long-running debates about whether or not digital belongings belong within the monetary system, Davos 2026 targeted on how they’re being built-in.
The dialog has moved from ideology and hypothesis to infrastructure, scalability, and enterprise-grade deployment.
In that sense, tokenization was extensively framed as the mechanism by which blockchain technology is quietly embedding itself into TradFi.
This shift was evident throughout high-level panels, together with classes titled “Is Tokenization the Future?” and “Where Are We on Stablecoins?”
These discussions introduced collectively senior figures, together with Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. Others included officers from the European Central Bankand representatives from main monetary establishments.
Panelists emphasised tokenization’s skill to make historically illiquid belongings (equities, bonds, funds, and actual property) tradable on-chain. This was aimed at enabling fractional possession, enhancing liquidity, and lowering cross-border settlement friction.
Institutions together with BlackRock, BNY Mellon, and Euroclear at the moment are deploying tokenized merchandise at scale. This displays a broader convergence between banks and blockchains.
Regulatory readability achieved in 2025, significantly within the US and elements of Europe, was repeatedly cited as the catalyst enabling this transition.
Stablecoins additionally performed a distinguished function as the connective tissue between TradFi and DeFi systems. Often described as the primary really common blockchain use case, stablecoins have been positioned as foundational infrastructure for funds, treasury administration, and on-chain settlement.
With clearer world frameworks rising, together with references to the US GENIUS Act, stablecoins are more and more considered as complementary to, quite than disruptive of, current monetary rails.
Tokenization Moves from Pilot Projects to Trillions-Scale Financial Infrastructure
Fresh information shared throughout WEF in Davos highlighted the dimensions of the tokenization alternative. Total worth locked (TVL) in tokenized RWAs has now reached previous $21 billion. This displays each rising adoption and a broader mixture of asset courses coming on-chain.
Long-term projections spotlight the magnitude of the development. McKinsey estimates the tokenized asset market may attain between $2 trillion and $4 trillion by 2030. Meanwhile, Boston Consulting Group has outlined a extra aggressive state of affairs of as much as $16 trillion.
Industry leaders used Davos to showcase real-world progress. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse mentioned the corporate is working intently with world banks to bridge the hole between tokenization and DeFi.
He indicated that tokenization quantity on the XRP Ledger surged from $19 trillion to $33 trillion in only one yr. The focus, he argued, is on institutional-grade rails quite than speculative use instances.
Infrastructure suppliers echoed that message. SWIFT said interoperable tokenized belongings may considerably velocity up world commerce, unlock trapped liquidity, and join TradFi with digital finance at scale.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong added that tokenized equities characterize the way forward for conventional markets. The crypto government framed them as an inevitable evolution of inventory market infrastructure quite than a crypto-native experiment.
Incumbent Markets Embrace Tokenization as Core Financial Infrastructure
That view is gaining traction amongst incumbents. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is exploring tokenized securities and 24/7 trading with out altering current regulatory frameworks.
It goals to modernize market plumbing quite than encourage speculative conduct. Meanwhile, information shared throughout Davos confirmed that greater than 65% of tokenized belongings, together with fiat-backed stablecoins, are at present issued on Ethereum. This displays its central function within the rising tokenized economic system.
Taken collectively, Davos 2026 revealed that tokenization is now not a future idea. It is turning into the first lens by which world finance engages with crypto, much less as a disruptive power and extra as a sturdy infrastructure quietly reshaping capital markets.
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