Tokenized Securities Need Market Structure, Not Just Technology

The tokenization of real-world assets has gained significant momentum in 2026, evidenced by Robinhood reporting a fivefold increase in RWA trading activity and Coinbase announcing plans for tokenized U.S. stocks. Despite this progress, the market faces a critical bottleneck: while approximately $32 billion in RWAs exist on-chain, only $3.9 billion is actively deployed within DeFi protocols. This discrepancy highlights that mere issuance is insufficient; the industry must prioritize building robust market infrastructure, including liquidity providers and clearing mechanisms, to ensure efficient trading. Institutional investors require stable, secure environments that integrate regulatory compliance, such as KYC and whitelisting, directly into the asset code. By embedding these standards into the underlying infrastructure, issuers can satisfy institutional requirements while maintaining control over asset participation. Ultimately, the true potential of tokenization lies in programmability, which enables complex interactions between assets that are impossible in traditional finance. Moving forward, the convergence of blockchain efficiency with institutional governance will be essential to transition tokenized assets from a niche technology into a cornerstone of global finance.