Ethereum News Today: Tokenized Assets Challenge Traditional Finance in $2T RWA Surge by 2028

Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) are poised for a seismic shift, with Standard Chartered Bank forecasting a market capitalization of $2 trillion by 2028, up from roughly $35 billion today—a 5,600% surge, according to Standard Chartered's forecast. The bank attributes this growth to the foundational role of stablecoins, which have spurred on-chain liquidity and lending, creating conditions for broader adoption of tokenized assets, according to Coinpedia's report. Geoffrey Kendrick, Standard Chartered's head of digital assets research, emphasized that Ethereum will dominate this expansion due to its decade-long reliability and lack of mainnet outages, despite competing blockchains offering faster or cheaper transactions.

The projected $2 trillion market will be split across asset classes, with tokenized money market funds and listed equities each capturing $750 billion. Funds, private equity, commodities, and real estate will account for the remaining $500 billion. Kendrick noted that U.S. regulatory clarity and decentralized finance (DeFi) innovations will be critical enablers, particularly as tokenized equities gain traction once legal frameworks solidify. "If tokenized RWAs can be traded on decentralized exchanges, this may provide an opportunity for disruption to stock exchanges," he added.

Institutional adoption is accelerating, with major players like JPMorgan and Oracle advancing blockchain infrastructure. JPMorgan's Kinexys Fund Flow platform, set for a 2026 launch, automates fund transactions using tokenization, while Oracle's Digital Assets Data Nexus supports compliant on-chain asset management, according to FXStreet. Meanwhile, Oracle and Professional Diversity Network (IPDN) are building a regulated RWA exchange, reflecting a $30 billion market, according to a Coinotag report. Mastercard's rumored $2 billion acquisition of crypto settlement firm Zero Hash further underscores the shift, aiming to integrate stablecoin-based payments into its global network, as CryptoSlate reported.

Ethereum's dominance is reinforced by its current $9.6 billion in RWA issuance, according to a16z reports. The blockchain's maturity contrasts with newer networks, aligning with Kendrick's assertion that "the fact that other chains are faster or cheaper is irrelevant." However, regulatory risks persist, particularly in the U.S., where delayed clarity could hinder adoption before the 2026 midterm elections, a Yahoo Finance analysis warned.

The growth trajectory is already evident. In Q3 2025, Ethereum's market share rose to 12.5% as altcoins outperformed Bitcoin, which lagged with a 6.4% gain, CryptoNews reported. This trend highlights shifting investor sentiment toward DeFi and tokenized assets, with stablecoin liquidity—now exceeding $300 billion—fueling a "self-sustaining cycle of growth," as described in a Yahoo Finance article.

As the RWA market expands, it threatens to upend traditional finance. Tokenized assets enable real-time settlements, reduced counterparty risks, and programmable money, challenging legacy systems reliant on centralized intermediaries. For now, Ethereum's track record and institutional backing position it as the backbone of this transformation, though regulatory and technological hurdles will shape its pace.