Standard Chartered Forecasts $2 Trillion Tokenized RWA Market by 2028, Rivaling Stablecoin Growth

Standard Chartered’s latest analysis projects that tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) could reach a $2 trillion market capitalization by 2028, potentially matching the current scale of the stablecoin sector. According to the investment bank’s head of research, the existing $300 billion stablecoin market has been instrumental in driving decentralized finance (DeFi) into what he described as a “self-sustaining cycle” of expansion. The report highlights how stablecoins have provided the necessary liquidity and stability for DeFi protocols to mature, creating a foundation for broader institutional adoption. This development sets the stage for tokenized RWAs—which include traditional financial instruments like bonds, real estate, and commodities represented on blockchain networks—to experience similar exponential growth. The projection underscores the accelerating convergence between traditional finance and digital assets, with tokenization emerging as a key mechanism for bringing trillions of dollars worth of conventional assets onto distributed ledger technology platforms. Standard Chartered’s analysis suggests that the infrastructure and market confidence built through stablecoin adoption will directly facilitate the rapid expansion of tokenized RWAs over the coming four years.