Stellar RWA Market Nears $4 Billion as Institutional Tokenization Surges, but XLM Price Lags

The Stellar network has experienced a significant surge in institutional adoption, with its total tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market value reaching nearly $4 billion as of August 29, 2026. This represents a 360% increase from the $868.8 million recorded at the end of 2025, driven by diverse assets including U.S. Treasurys, private credit, and non-U.S. sovereign debt. Major issuers such as Spiko, Realiz, Tradable, Franklin Templeton, and Ondo are primary contributors to this growth, with Spiko alone accounting for $1.55 billion. The network is further bolstered by strategic institutional partnerships, including a planned integration with the DTCC expected in early 2027. Despite this robust on-chain expansion, the native XLM token has struggled to mirror the growth, trading near $0.18 with an 11% year-to-date decline. This divergence highlights a disconnect between institutional network utility and native token market performance. The trend underscores the broader shift in traditional finance toward tokenized settlement and liquidity, as discussed at the 2026 Jackson Hole symposium. Ultimately, while Stellar is cementing its position as a leading infrastructure for RWA, the market is still determining if this fundamental growth will eventually catalyze demand for the XLM token.