RWA

On January 12, 2026, Arthur Azizov analyzes perpetual futures, noting they comprised roughly 68% of Bitcoin trading volume in 2025. He explains how funding rates, unified collateral and shared risk engines are pushing perps toward core market infrastructure, while warning that liquidation cascades and collateral mispricing still pose systemic risks. Azizov proposes dynamic limits, transparent insurance and tiered margin frameworks to strengthen trust.

On 12 January 2026, Miami-based World Liberty Financial, which lists Donald Trump as co-founder emeritus, launched its World Liberty Markets lending and borrowing venue to deepen usage of its USD1 stablecoin. The platform supports USD1 alongside WLFI, Ether, tokenized Bitcoin, USDT and USDC, and is built on Dolomite's DeFi infrastructure to let users lend assets or borrow against collateral. Company executives also outlined plans for tokenized real-world assets, a mobile app, a debit card and a potential US bank charter to broaden USD1's role in both crypto and traditional finance.

Standard Chartered's digital assets research head Geoffrey Kendrick said Ethereum is poised to outperform other major cryptocurrencies in 2026, even as the bank cut its near-term ETH price forecasts. The bank now expects ether to reach $7,500 by end-2026 and sees Ethereum's dominant role in stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets and DeFi, alongside rising network activity, as key drivers for a stronger ETH-BTC ratio.

On January 1, 2025, ETH was $3,362; by December 22, it was $3,045, while DeFi TVL on Ethereum rose from $65 billion to $70 billion. The author highlights strong on-chain growth: stablecoin market caps on Ethereum expanded from $111.8 billion to $166.9 billion, and tokenized real-world assets increased from $4.12 billion to $12.3 billion.

On 12 January 2026 at 10:55, major asset managers were described as shifting tokenization from pilots to core market infrastructure. BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized treasury fund reached $500 million, while Hamilton Lane has tokenized more than $2.1 billion across private equity and credit. Firms are deploying multi-chain products on Ethereum, Stellar, and Polygon, with established custody support also in place.

BlackRock's Global Outlook 2026 frames stablecoins as core settlement infrastructure rather than niche trading tools, while Visa and JPMorgan integrate USDC and tokenized funds into their operations. Regulatory clarity from the US GENIUS Act and Ethereum's dominance in real-world asset tokenization underpin this shift but also surface monetary and issuer risks.

Lithuania-licensed payments app Brighty has arranged over 100 real estate purchases worth $500,000 to $2.5 million across the UK, France and Malta. Serving 100–150 wealthy clients who spend about $50,000 monthly, Brighty reports average euro stablecoin transactions rising from €15,785 in Q3 to €59,894 in Q4 as buyers shift to EURC over USDC.

On January 8, 2026, House of Doge, the corporate arm of the Dogecoin Foundation, announced partnerships in Japan with abc Co., Ltd. and ReYuu Japan Inc. The plan prioritizes regulated payments, tokenization, and real-world assets, with roles split across investment, local integration, and smart‑contract/regulatory work. It references Japan's "green list" framework and adopts a cautious, utility‑first rollout.

In 2025, Ethereum recorded more than $99 billion in DeFi total value locked and processed $18.8 trillion in stablecoin settlements, highlighting its leading role among Layer 1 networks. Lower fees on both the base chain and Layer 2s, along with expanded infrastructure and institutional participation, supported broader usage of DeFi, tokenized assets, and real-world asset distribution throughout the year.

Tether has registered a trademark in the Russian Federation for its Hadron tokenization platform. According to a review by RIA Novosti of Rospatent records, the application was filed in October 2025 and approved in January 2026, granting rights through October 3, 2035. The move aligns with Russia planning comprehensive crypto rules in the first half of 2026.