RWA

The Ethereum Foundation has introduced a security-first roadmap for zkEVMs, defining three milestones through the end of 2026 that culminate in 128-bit provable security and strict proof size limits. Alongside these technical targets, Ethereum is promoting institutional adoption with an "Ethereum for Institutions" portal and highlighting its leadership in tokenized real-world assets and privacy technologies. Co-founder Vitalik Buterin has also warned that growing protocol complexity threatens trustlessness, prompting plans to simplify user interactions through smart contract wallets.

A draft crypto tax framework in the US House of Representatives, led by Rep. Max Miller and supported by Rep. Steven Horsford, proposes a bipartisan overhaul of how digital assets are taxed. The plan includes a de minimis exemption for regulated stablecoin payments under $200, clearer rules for tax treatment of crypto lending, and up to five years of deferral on income from mining and staking rewards. If formally introduced and passed, it could mark a major shift in how Americans use and report digital assets for tax purposes.

In its newly released 2026 outlook, crypto analytics firm Presto Research projects Bitcoin could climb to $160,000 and expects tokenized assets and stablecoins to approach $490 billion in value. The report anticipates a maturing market shaped by institutional adoption, confidential DeFi reaching $10 billion, and growing focus on regulation-ready products and measurable cash flows.

According to new modeling by RWA.io, fragmentation across blockchain networks is imposing an economic drag of up to $1.3 billion per year on tokenized real-world assets as crosschain price gaps and capital friction persist. The report cites typical 1%–3% price spreads for equivalent tokens on different chains and average losses of about 3.5% per capital reallocation, warning that at a projected $16 trillion–$30 trillion RWA market by 2030, annual efficiency losses could reach $30 billion–$75 billion.

Intercontinental Exchange, the NYSE's parent, is negotiating a potential investment in MoonPay as part of the crypto payments firm's latest fundraising. MoonPay is targeting a valuation of around $5 billion, while the size of ICE's commitment remains undisclosed and no agreement has been finalized. The move would extend ICE's push into blockchain-enabled market infrastructure.

A Federal Reserve discussion paper finds the dollar’s share of international bond issuance has moved in waves over six decades, with a post‑2008 rebound; as of 2024, emerging‑market borrowers still have about 80% of outstanding international bonds in dollars. DefiLlama data show stablecoins grew to $309.6 billion from $205.5 billion in December 2024, led by USDT and USDC.

Intercontinental Exchange, the parent of the NYSE, is in talks to invest in crypto payments firm MoonPay as part of its latest funding round. MoonPay is seeking to raise at a $5 billion valuation, and in October ICE put $2 billion into prediction platform Polymarket in a round valuing it at $9 billion.

Forward Industries has tokenized its SEC-registered FWDI shares on Solana via Superstate’s Opening Bell platform, making them usable as collateral in decentralized finance. Ex-US shareholders can move their NASDAQ-listed equity into allowlisted Solana wallets and post it on Kamino to borrow stablecoins while retaining exposure to the underlying stock.

On December 17, E‑Estate said it integrated AI to guide property selection and risk checks, and on December 18 it released a Tokenized Property Disclosure & Asset Report. The firm cites $18.4 million invested and 11 properties tokenized, and plans a January 31, 2026 Miami summit to outline its Vision 2034 roadmap and tokenization plans.

On Wednesday, the SEC's Trading and Markets Division detailed how broker-dealers can custody tokenized stocks and bonds under Rule 15c3-3, requiring exclusive control of private keys and defined operational, security and governance measures. Commissioner Hester Peirce separately raised trading-venue questions as Nasdaq (Nov. 30), Securitize (Tuesday) and Coinbase (Thursday) advance tokenized equity initiatives.