New global research from industry association Global Digital Finance reveals that most major financial institutions already manage real-world digital assets, signaling a significant shift in tokenization from an emerging innovation to an established practice.
The study, which involved financial firms in the United States, Asia, Europe and the Middle East with more than $220.00 billion in assets under management, found that 91% of these institutions manage real digital assets, such as securities or commodities digital or tokenized. Even among those who have not yet adopted these practices, 100% expressed the intention to do so in the future. The digital assets most frequently managed by financial institutions include tokenized corporate debt, alternative funds and sovereign debt. This data highlights how tokenization is rapidly becoming a central component of global financial strategies. Using Deposit Tokens and CBDCs Nearly nine in ten (87%) institutions surveyed said they plan to use deposit tokens or central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Currently, many businesses rely on other solutions for cash transactions, with 57% of businesses using stablecoins and 66% employing proprietary coins to manage cash inflows and outflows.
The research highlights a significant shift in real asset (RWA) tokenization from the proof-of-concept (PoC) stage to actual production. This change reflects comments made earlier this year by Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, who said that “the next step will be the tokenization of financial assets.”
These findings demonstrate how global financial institutions are embracing asset tokenization as an integral part of their operations, marking a significant shift in the digital finance landscape. With the growing adoption of deposit tokens and CBDCs, the financial sector is preparing for a future in which digital assets play a central role in investment and wealth management strategies.
Asset tokenization is about to take off
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