Intro
Tokenisation — the issuance of financial assets as digital tokens on a blockchain — represents one of the most transformative trends in modern finance.
In a world where financial assets increasingly outweigh real ones, tokenisation stands as both a technological and economic evolution. Whether this is a symptom of post-industrial capitalism or the search for perpetual growth, the trend expresses a structural feature of our economy — and an opportunity for investors ready to capture it.
What Tokenisation Is
Tokenisation can be seen as a derivative process: a digital representation that derives its value from an underlying asset.
Almost anything can be tokenised — physical assets (real estate, commodities, collectibles) or financial instruments (equities, bonds, funds). The limit is only practical and regulatory, not conceptual.
This process is set to accelerate sharply over the coming decade.
Market Size and Growth Potential
The total global GDP is currently estimated at about US $111 trillion, while the total value of global assets (real estate + financial + other) is roughly US $1.5 quadrillion.
Analysts expect the tokenisation market to reach about US $50 trillion within the next 10 years — equivalent to 3.5 % of total world asset value.
Even if this materialises only partially, it still represents a massive structural shift: a multi-trillion-dollar transformation of how value is recorded, owned, and exchanged.
Why Turn Everything Into a Token?
A token represents the smallest unit of ownership within a financial product and inherits the native features of blockchain: shared ledger, transparency, and auditability.
Being digital by design, tokenised assets enable faster, cheaper, and more efficient settlement than their physical or paper-based equivalents.
This creates the conditions for broader participation — a democratisation of investment, making previously exclusive opportunities accessible to retail investors.
Benefits for Both Sides
Investors
- Fractional ownership allows entry with smaller capital.
- Transparent and verifiable ownership.
- Instant, peer-to-peer transferability.
Asset Owners
- Immediate liquidity on previously illiquid holdings.
- Alternative funding paths (e.g., a developer tokenising a project rather than seeking bank loans).
- Partial monetisation without full divestment — especially for art, collectibles, or other rare assets.
The Core of Tokenisation: Linking Physical and Digital
The strength of any tokenisation framework lies in the integrity of the link between the real asset and its digital representation. The enforceability of property rights and investor protection mechanisms determines quality and trust.
This has become the main focus of regulators, aiming to make tokenised investments both accessible and secure, especially for retail investors.
The Financial Balance: Risk and Reward
The future of tokenisation depends on a simple equilibrium: safety versus yield.
The winners will be those who combine regulatory robustness with attractive economics — offering investors both trust and opportunity.