Stellar Holds $3.5B in Tokenized Assets, but XRP Is Still Worth 13 Times More

RWA Signal Insight
InfrastructureStellar has established itself as a significant hub for real-world asset tokenization, reporting approximately $3.5 billion to $4 billion in total holdings as of late 2024. Key institutional drivers include Franklin Templeton’s BENJI fund, which accounts for over $600 million, and Spiko’s money-market products contributing roughly $1.7 billion. Despite this substantial utility, Stellar’s native token XLM maintains a market capitalization of approximately $6.67 billion, significantly trailing XRP’s $84.65 billion valuation. This discrepancy highlights a fundamental market trend where the growth of tokenized assets on a blockchain does not necessarily translate into proportional demand for the network's native cryptocurrency. While institutional investors utilize these chains for issuance, ownership records, and settlement, their capital is primarily directed toward the underlying assets like government securities rather than the native tokens. Conversely, XRP’s higher valuation is driven by distinct investment vehicles, such as spot ETFs and corporate treasury structures, which provide direct exposure to the asset itself. This analysis underscores the decoupling between blockchain infrastructure utility and speculative market pricing in the evolving RWA sector.
Key points
- Stellar hosts $3.5B-$4B in tokenized assets, including $605M from Franklin Templeton's BENJI fund.
- XRP market cap is $84.65B, roughly 12.7 times higher than XLM's $6.67B valuation.
- Tokenized asset growth often requires minimal native token usage for fees and reserves.
- XRP valuation benefits from direct investment vehicles like spot ETFs and treasury structures.
Background
Stellar is a decentralized, open-source blockchain network designed for fast, low-cost cross-border payments and the issuance of tokenized assets. It utilizes a unique consensus protocol that allows financial institutions to tokenize traditional instruments like money-market funds and government securities directly on-chain. The XRP Ledger (XRPL) serves a similar purpose, providing enterprise-grade infrastructure for institutional payment rails and the tokenization of financial assets.