Why Real-World Asset Tokenization is Reshaping Blockchain Companies in 2024

The wave of asset digitalization through blockchain technology is no longer a future concept—it’s happening now. Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is transforming how traditional financial instruments enter the blockchain ecosystem, and the market is responding with unprecedented growth. As of March 2024, the combined market capitalization of tokenization blockchain companies and their RWA-related assets surpassed $8.4 billion, signaling a fundamental shift in how digital finance operates.

The Catalyst: Traditional Finance Meets Blockchain

When BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, launched its tokenized fund BUIDL on Ethereum—a USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund offering daily accrued dividends directly to investor wallets—it sent a clear message: institutional capital is ready to embrace tokenization. This milestone validated what forward-thinking developers and blockchain companies have been building: that merging traditional financial assets with blockchain’s flexibility creates genuine utility.

The infrastructure behind this movement is robust. Major players like Coinbase, BitGo, Anchorage Digital Bank NA, and Fireblocks provide the security and operational backbone that institutional investors require. The collaborative effort across the industry underscores that tokenization isn’t a niche experiment—it’s becoming a core pillar of digital finance.

How Tokenization Unlocks New Possibilities

Before exploring specific projects, it’s worth understanding why tokenization matters beyond the hype:

Fractional Ownership & Liquidity: Assets that were once indivisible or locked away become accessible to everyday investors. Real estate, fine art, government bonds—anything with value can be divided and traded globally, 24/7.

Democratizing Investment Access: Geographic barriers dissolve when assets are tokenized. A farmer in Southeast Asia can now invest in U.S. Treasury bonds; a retail investor can own fractions of premium real estate portfolios.

DeFi Innovation: Tokenized assets open new financial product possibilities. Yield farming, collateral mechanisms, and derivative strategies that were impossible with non-blockchain assets become feasible.

Transparency & Security: Blockchain’s immutable ledger ensures transparent ownership records and reduces settlement times from days to minutes. This efficiency appeals equally to retail users seeking security and institutions seeking cost reduction.

Leading Blockchain Companies Driving Tokenization

The projects at the forefront of this transformation are diverse in approach but unified in ambition:

Ondo Finance: Bridging Treasury Markets to Crypto

Ondo (ONDO) stands as one of the most ambitious players in RWA tokenization. Its flagship product, OUSG, became the world’s first tokenized U.S. Treasury product, enabling crypto-native investors to hold government bonds on-chain.

The vision extends beyond simple tokenization. Ondo’s recent launch of Ondo Global Markets (Ondo GM) represents a leap forward in securities tokenization, including a broker-dealer capable of accepting orders via smart contracts—bridging traditional and decentralized finance infrastructure.

In March 2024, Ondo made a strategic move by allocating $95 million of OUSG assets to BlackRock’s tokenized fund, facilitating instant settlement and dramatically increasing OUSG’s utility as collateral and store-of-value within the crypto ecosystem. Partnerships with Sui and Aptos networks further expand OUSG’s accessibility across multiple blockchains.

Mantra: Scaling RWA Infrastructure Globally

Mantra (OM) emerged as a Layer 1 blockchain specifically engineered for RWA tokenization. Following a $11 million funding round led by Shorooq Partners in 2024, the network is building regulatory-compliant infrastructure designed to onboard tokenized assets at scale.

The OM token functions as both a governance and utility mechanism, enabling staking for yield and participation in protocol decisions. Mantra’s focus on the Middle East and Asia reflects a strategic bet on underbanked regions where asset tokenization could accelerate financial inclusion.

Current Market Data (OM):

• Price: $0.07
• 24h Change: -4.39%
• Market Cap: $83.67M
• 24h Volume: $667.56K

Mantra’s mission—bringing the world’s financial ecosystem on-chain—resonates beyond rhetoric; their infrastructure is genuinely designed to be inviting for builders, institutions, and enterprises exploring RWA possibilities.

Polymesh: The Institutional-Grade Solution

Polymesh (POLYX) takes a different architectural approach, offering a specialized Layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for security tokens. Its permissioned structure addresses concerns that plague traditional security tokenization: identity, compliance, confidentiality, and settlement.

POLYX holders participate in governance while the token enables transaction fees, staking, and security token creation. The tokenomics model employs an asymptotic supply cap, balancing network incentives with controlled inflation—a thoughtful design for long-term sustainability.

Current Market Data (POLYX):

• Price: $0.05
• 24h Change: -5.36%
• Market Cap: $60.60M
• 24h Volume: $94.68K

By combining private network trustworthiness with public chain transparency, Polymesh positions itself as the institutional standard for on-chain securities.

OriginTrail: Knowledge Assets Meet Real-World Value

OriginTrail (TRAC) approaches tokenization from an unconventional angle—through decentralized knowledge graphs. Rather than tokenizing assets directly, TRAC enables the creation of AI-ready Knowledge Assets that verify data across supply chains, healthcare, construction, and other sectors.

Launched in 2018 with a fixed supply of 500 million tokens, TRAC operates across multiple blockchains, ensuring functionality isn’t limited to a single ecosystem. The token powers operations like asset publishing, node collateral, and delegated staking.

Current Market Data (TRAC):

• Price: $0.40
• 24h Change: -4.29%
• Market Cap: $177.25M
• 24h Volume: $18.37K

OriginTrail’s thesis: trusted data is foundational to real-world asset tokenization. Without verifiable supply chain and ownership data, tokenization remains incomplete.

Pendle: Yield Management Meets Real-World Assets

Pendle (PENDLE) revolutionized yield-bearing asset management by separating principal and yield into tradable tokens—Principal Tokens (PT) and Yield Tokens (YT). Users can now speculate on yield fluctuations, hedge risk, or deploy sophisticated yield strategies.

The recent integration of RWAs like MakerDAO’s Boosted Dai Savings and Flux Finance’s fUSDC marks Pendle’s evolution into a bridge between DeFi and traditional finance. Retail and institutional investors can now manage and hedge yields of tokenized Treasury Bonds through a single protocol.

Current Market Data (PENDLE):

• Price: $1.79
• 24h Change: +2.10%
• Market Cap: $295.09M
• 24h Volume: $511.08K

Pendle’s adaptability to incorporate RWAs positions it at a unique intersection: sophisticated yield optimization for both crypto-native and institutional capital.

TokenFi: Democratizing Asset Creation

TokenFi (TOKEN) targets a massive opportunity: making RWA tokenization accessible to non-developers. No coding required. Just a user-friendly interface to launch ERC20/BEP20 tokens, generate AI-powered NFTs, and connect directly with institutions.

Anticipating the RWA market reaching $16 trillion by 2030, TokenFi’s democratization thesis could capture enormous value. The TOKEN utility token enables platform access, AI smart contract audits, and marketplace connections.

Current Market Data (TOKEN):

• Price: $0.00
• 24h Change: -1.72%
• Market Cap: $7.57M
• 24h Volume: $257.69K

Securitize: Compliance as Competitive Advantage

Securitize operates the compliance layer of digital securities. Launched in 2017, by 2022 the platform serviced over 1.2 million investor accounts across 3,000 clients, ranking among the top 10 US stock transfer agents.

BlackRock’s strategic investment and appointment of its Global Head of Strategic Ecosystem Partnerships to Securitize’s board demonstrates institutional confidence. The platform’s blockchain-agnostic approach means it can adapt to evolving infrastructure while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Untangled Finance & Swarm Markets: Specialized RWA Platforms

Untangled Finance, recently launched on Celo, tokenizes private credit assets—traditionally illiquid instruments now accessible to broader investor bases. The October 2023 funding round of $13.5 million signals investor appetite for specialized RWA platforms.

Swarm Markets (SMT), emphasizing regulatory compliance, bridges traditional finance and DeFi. As of March 2024, Swarm achieved over $5.4 million in total value locked, with its SMT token enabling discounted transactions and platform rewards. A July 2023 partnership with Mattereum provides compliant on-chain securitization infrastructure.

MakerDAO: DeFi’s Institutional Evolution

MakerDAO (MKR), one of Ethereum’s oldest protocols, demonstrates how established DeFi platforms integrate RWAs at scale. Institutional investors borrow DAI and tokenize Treasury bills within the ecosystem.

As of March 2024, real-world assets comprise nearly 30% of MakerDAO’s balance sheet—$2.06 billion of its $6.6 billion TVL. This represents institutional capital’s growing comfort with blockchain-based financial infrastructure.

The Bigger Picture: Tokenization Blockchain Companies are Reshaping Finance

What connects these diverse projects is a common conviction: blockchain technology solves genuine problems in asset management—settlement speed, fractional ownership, global accessibility, and transparent record-keeping.

The regulatory environment, while still evolving, is becoming more supportive. Major financial institutions recognizing RWA tokenization’s potential signals legitimacy. Increased market liquidity and DeFi innovation will accelerate adoption cycles.

The next chapter belongs to blockchain companies that can balance institutional demands (compliance, security, operational reliability) with crypto’s core promise (transparency, decentralization, efficiency). The $8.4 billion market today is merely the foundation for a transformative decade in digital finance.

Stay engaged with this space—the projects and paradigms shaping this transformation will define financial infrastructure for generations.