RWA

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to publish an “innovation exemption” for tokenized stocks as early as this week. The framework would let traditional market institutions test blockchain-based tokenized securities without completing the full registration process. In recent months, the SEC has also approved related rule changes involving Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange, alongside a three-year DTCC authorization for tokenizing certain liquid assets.

Standard Chartered said in a May 18 report it expects tokenized assets on blockchain networks to total USD 4tn by end-2028, which it believes would elevate DeFi protocols into core market infrastructure. The bank expects the total to be split evenly between stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets, with more deposits and lending potentially increasing protocol activity and capital efficiency.

The U.S. SEC is expected to roll out an "innovation exemption" aimed at tokenized stocks, potentially as soon as May 18, 2026. The framework could let crypto-native venues offer tokenized U.S. equities under lighter, time-limited requirements, with guardrails such as disclosure and exposure caps. The move would follow the SEC's approvals for Nasdaq's tokenized-equity rules in March 2026 and a similar NYSE approval in April 2026.

Bernstein analysts said on Friday that Figure Technology Solutions’ May 11 first-quarter earnings report underscores how the company differs from balance sheet-based fintech lenders. The firm beat Wall Street expectations on revenue and EBITDA, and Bernstein argued FIGR could increasingly trade as a proxy for onchain loan volumes as its blockchain-native credit ecosystem scales.

Following the $292 million KelpDAO exploit on April 18, 2026, DeFi activity weakened across major protocols. DeFiLlama data indicates Aave's total value locked fell 44% over 30 days to about $14.77 billion, a roughly $11.605 billion reduction, while 31 of the top 50 protocols posted TVL declines in the same period.

On 17 May 2026, Token Terminal data showed tokenized stocks climbing to a $1.5B onchain market cap, roughly 40x year-over-year, spanning 2,649 assets across 10 chains and 11 issuers. Issuer share was heavily concentrated, with Ondo Finance at $963.3M (63.1%) and xStocks at $402.7M (26.4%), while the top three chains—Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain—collectively represented 97.8% of market cap.

In May 2026, the tokenized real-world asset (RWA) sector rose to $37.5 billion in total market capitalization, representing 100% year-on-year growth. The report highlights institutional participation across tokenized U.S. Treasuries and private credit, while projecting further expansion through 2033–2034 forecasts.

SharpLink Gaming CEO Joseph Chalom outlined three developments he says Ethereum needs to regain momentum: passage of the US Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY), a broader return of risk appetite, and faster growth in real-world asset tokenization. He also said global financial hubs are closely tracking the US policy shift as lawmakers advanced the bill in a Senate Banking Committee vote. SharpLink holds about 861,251 ETH valued at $1.89 billion, while ETH was $2,190 at publication after falling 55% from its $4,823 peak in August 2025.

Binance Research said in a May 15 report that tokenized real-world assets could approach about US$1.6 trillion by 2030 as institutions expand pilots of blockchain-based versions of traditional products. The report highlighted U.S. Treasury-linked tokens as roughly half of current RWA value, with tokenized gold around $5.1 billion and tokenized public equities near $1.5 billion after rising from under $300 million at the start of 2025.

Grove has introduced Basin, a blockchain-based liquidity facility supported by firms including BlackRock and Janus Henderson, aimed at speeding up redemptions for tokenized Treasury funds. The system is designed to offer investors access to as much as $1 billion in stablecoin liquidity per day while traditional settlement continues in the background. BlackRock's $2.2 billion BUIDL and the $1.1 billion Janus Henderson Anemoy Treasury Fund (JTRSY) are the first connected products.