In 2025, the cryptocurrency world underwent a major shift with the rise of Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization, bringing traditional assets like real estate and stocks into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi).
RWA Growth and Significance
The total value locked (TVL) in RWAs surpassed $10 billion, marking a growing trend towards tokenizing real-world assets for faster settlements, fractional ownership, and 24/7 trading. This sector has proven to be one of the most resilient during the crypto market slump.
Key Players and Projects
Major players like Maker, BlackRock's BUIDL, and Ethena's USDtb each hold over $1 billion in TVL. USDtb saw a remarkable 1,000% TVL growth last month. Treasury-backed tokens hit a record $4.2 billion market cap in Q1. Key developments include partnerships like RWA Inc. and Novastro, which bring AI-driven solutions for better security and compliance.
The Future of RWA in DeFi
According to crypto analyst rektdiomedes, RWAs are poised to become a significant part of the crypto industry, specializing in institutional credit and on-chain capital markets. The total value of RWAs has doubled in the past year, now surpassing $18 billion. Li Lang of HashKey OTC sees tokenizing sustainable assets as an exciting opportunity for 2025, with RWAs now integrated with Layer-1 and Layer-2 blockchain solutions to overcome adoption barriers.
Real-world asset tokenization shows potential for significant growth in the future and could become dominant in the DeFi sector, depending on institutional adoption and regulatory clarity.
