Important points
What does Standard Chartered predict will happen to tokenized real-world assets by 2028?
The bank expects RWA to grow from $35 billion to nearly $2 trillion, driven by liquidity and innovation.
How are stablecoins impacting the transition to blockchain-based finance?
Currently with a market capitalization of over $308 billion, stablecoins are accelerating mainstream adoption of decentralized financial infrastructure.
Standard Chartered suggests that major changes are occurring in the global financial order.
The bank says decentralized finance is no longer a fringe experiment, but a growing force against the traditional banking system. And we expect tokenized real-world assets to be the backbone of that transition.
In a recent analysis, Jeffrey Kendrick, Head of Digital Asset Research Standard Chartered predicts that the total amount of real world assets (RWA) issued on blockchain networks could soar to $2 trillion by 2028.
Source: Kyle Chasse/X
According to the report, stablecoin performance throughout 2025 will act as a key catalyst.
This is expected to further penetrate blockchain-based finance into the mainstream market and extend its reach far beyond crypto-native audiences.
How much will tokenized RWA grow by 2028?
Additionally, the bank predicts that non-stablecoin tokenized assets could grow from around $35 billion today to nearly $2 trillion by the end of 2028. This will bring the market size of non-stablecoins on par with the projected stablecoin sector.
Tokenized money market funds and publicly traded equities are expected to drive this growth, with each category potentially worth around $750 billion, according to the report.
The remaining expansion will be driven by tokenized versions of corporate bonds, commodities, private equity, real estate, and other investment funds.
To reach the $2 trillion milestone, RWA would need to grow more than 57 times from its current base of $35 billion. Although ambitious, this leap seems increasingly realistic given the accelerating pace of institutional adoption.
Stablecoin growth to date
The market capitalization of stablecoins has already exceeded $308 billion, led by Tether’s USDT and Circle’s USDC. Meanwhile, new entrants such as USDe, USDS, and DAI continue to strengthen on-chain liquidity.
In parallel, companies such as Oracle and IPDN are also joining the tokenization movement. Their involvement shows that tokenization is no longer an experimental trend. It has become a strategic priority.
Additionally, global banks, asset managers, and publicly traded companies are actively developing tokenized infrastructure for credit, treasury, and exchange services. This shows that the transition from traditional finance to blockchain rail is rapidly accelerating.
As a result, for the first time, whether RWA moves on-chain has become an issue. Rather, it’s about how quickly the industry reaches the projected $2 trillion milestone.