Institutional participation in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is accelerating rapidly, with traditional finance firms increasingly positioning blockchain infrastructure as a long-term distribution layer for global capital markets. The latest wave of activity suggests tokenization is being treated less as an experiment and more as a structural shift in how financial assets are issued, traded, and accessed.
➥ Institutions are dipping their toes into RWAs and treating tokenization like the Gold Rush of our generation
And right now, the momentum feels unstoppable
I’ve been tracking this for months, and the latest move hit different: Franklin Templeton – managing $1.7 trillion AUM -… pic.twitter.com/4hWTXHUyfS
— Nick Research (@Nick_Researcher) April 10, 2026
Recent developments, including Franklin Templeton’s expanded collaboration with Ondo Finance to tokenize five exchange-traded funds spanning equities, bonds, income strategies, and gold exposure. The products are designed to be accessible through crypto wallets, enabling 24/7 trading and removing reliance on traditional brokerage systems and market-hour constraints.
The rollout extends across multiple regions including Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America, signaling a broader push to bring U.S.-linked financial products into blockchain-native environments for global investors.
Tokenized markets expand as Wall Street moves onchain
The broader RWA sector, excluding stablecoins, has grown to an estimated $26–30 billion in early 2026, rising from roughly $6–7 billion a year earlier. This represents more than fourfold growth within 12–15 months, driven primarily by tokenized Treasuries, private credit, and emerging equity-linked products.
Within this ecosystem, Ondo Finance has emerged as a leading protocol, with its Global Markets platform surpassing $500 million in tokenized stock exposure and recording multi-billion-dollar cumulative trading activity. Its model separates asset management from blockchain distribution, allowing traditional issuers to maintain control while expanding access through onchain rails.
Infrastructure race intensifies across institutional players
Institutional-grade RWA infrastructure is also scaling across multiple protocols. BlackRock’s BUIDL fund has grown beyond $2 billion in tokenized value across several blockchains and is increasingly used for onchain liquidity and collateral applications. Meanwhile, Centrifuge continues to dominate private credit tokenization, while Maple Finance is expanding institutional lending pools that connect real borrowers with onchain capital.
In another development, RWAs is rapidly emerging as one of the most transformative narratives in crypto, with benefits spreading across retail investors, institutions, and underserved markets.
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