Opinion: Sam Mudie, CEO of Savea
The only alternative assets were once elite domains.
For centuries, fine wines, high art and luxury watches have only accessed the most exclusive circles of society.
Now everything has changed. Blockchain technology has been the first to digitize these alternative assets, allowing fractional ownership and 24/7 access.
result? The line between what was once considered “alternative” and “mainstream” quickly fades away.
High-end assets are traditionally inaccessible
Getting access to the assets of the passion class is always deeply tied to “who knows” and is out of reach for most investors. Furthermore, profits are asymmetric based on the amount of investment, with more people investing than people who often invest in small amounts of performance.
Traditionally, once you complete an investment in an alternative asset, it can take 4-5 to 6 months to sell and realize the funds (1-2 or 2 weeks to “pay” your account payment).
With so many barriers to entry in the luxury asset class, innovators see them as a landscape of new opportunities, and there are increasing numbers of fintech companies working to make these assets on-chies. Blockchain can unlock global access and verifiable sources, and this technology is suitable for democratizing access to a variety of assets.
As a result, the real world assets (RWA) market has grown 380% over three years, reaching approximately $24 billion in mid-2025 alone. In addition to that, millennials and Gen Z investors allocate three times their investment portfolios to alternative assets than older generations. And while new platforms allow for tokenization of fine wines, other platforms have opened access to investments in art and real estate.
Tokenization means more freedom for any kind of investment
Tokenization allows investors to not only trade anywhere, anywhere in just a few seconds, but also in a regulatory, liquidity, scalable and extremely efficient way. Through Onchain’s move, tokenization eliminates asymmetry with returns that have traditionally plagued investors who buy and sell luxury assets.
Whether someone is investing $500 in a high-end whiskey barrel or $1 million from Damian Hearst, trade runs under the same transparent, standardized rules, minus the intermediary that slows the process while inflating costs.
Additionally, legacy passion asset investment systems tend to be very slow and opaque, requiring long processes that include operations departments, paper paths and settlement times of up to several months. Blockchain-based systems, meanwhile, significantly reduce operational overhead while cutting through noise with programmable smart contracts and enabling immediate settlements.
Related: Scaramucci nearly doubles avalanche’s RWA base and tokenize $300 million assets
Blockchain creates transparent, reliable, 24/7 ledgers, as it records every transaction in a completely immutable way. This sophisticated source and auditability reduces the risk of fraud and makes the transaction process as easy as buying or selling today’s NASDAQ inventory.
Meanwhile, digitalization of alternative assets has democratized accessibility, but investors still face barriers. Today, there is growing frustration over the system for trading these assets, but this is not as seamless as buying and selling traditional stocks.
As all tokenization shapes the future of our financial markets, new platforms can create user experiences that make trading luxury assets easier. And if they succeed, they are set to be a big upside down. That’s because next-generation investments are about access to all assets.
The democratization of tokenization is upon us
The next step in alternative assets is democratizing them on a global scale. This is possible through the ability to speed up the liquidity of tokenization and allow for minimal degradation.
Tokenized art is projected to reach $11.3 billion in 2025 and grow to $48.6 billion by 2033. Similarly, Deloitte predicts tokenization of real estate assets will increase from under $300 billion in 2024 to $4 trillion by 2035.
As more valued markets move on-chain, platforms that treat tokenized assets as two classes lose ground, while platforms that prioritize tokenization of alternative assets and support users through immediate net asset value updates, transparent custodianship and intuitive user experiences are born as winners of a new era of Finance.
The line between alternative and traditional assets is quickly fading. As more RWAs move on the on-chain, more investors will continue to demand speed, efficiency and standards they have access to when trading publicly traded stocks.
The future of investment is more than just digital. It is democratized, decentralized and designed for everyone.
Opinion: Sam Mudie, CEO of Savea.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not intended to be considered legal or investment advice, and should not be done. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect or express Cointregraph’s views and opinions.