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China has taken another step into blockchain-based finance, but in a way that avoids direct involvement with cryptocurrencies.

A state-owned firm in Shenzhen has launched a digital bond offering on Ethereum, showing how the country is selectively embracing new technology while keeping its hard stance on crypto trading in place.

First State-Backed RWA Bond On Ethereum

According to reports, Futian Investment Holding completed a 500 million yuan issuance of offshore bonds on August 29.

The bonds, equal to nearly $70 million, were rolled out in Hong Kong and listed on the Ethereum blockchain. They carry a 2.62% annual interest rate and will expire in two years.

The company described the deal as part of an effort to expand its funding sources while also responding to the growing use of real-world assets and tokenization in global markets.

It also pointed to Hong Kong’s supportive policies as a factor in the decision, saying the bond aligns with the district’s push to attract digital asset innovation.

#UZX BREAKING NEWS #RWA

Futian Investment Holding Announces Issuance of the World’s First Public RWA Digital Bond on a Public Blockchain pic.twitter.com/E2sGIJZdwl

— UZX Official (@UZX_Official) September 2, 2025

Crypto Still Off-Limits At Home

The move does not mean that China has softened its ban on crypto or Ethereum. Back in 2021, Beijing imposed a full ban on crypto mining and trading.

Officials at the time said the measures were needed to control energy use and to guard against risks that might destabilize the country’s financial system.

BTCUSD trading at $110,388 on the 24-hour chart: TradingView

That ban remains in effect today. Ordinary citizens and companies in mainland China are still blocked from using or trading cryptocurrencies.

What is allowed, however, are limited experiments like tokenized bonds that stay within the bounds of traditional finance.

Hong Kong As A Testing Ground

By routing the deal through Hong Kong, Beijing can keep its domestic ban intact while still signaling that it wants exposure to blockchain-based finance.

The bustling metro has been given more room to try out digital asset projects, and this latest bond fits into that role.

China’s strategy delineates a clear split: blockchain as a tool for finance is embraced in regulated manifestations, while crypto as an unfettered market asset is still off-limits.

Stablecoins, particularly dollar-denominated stablecoins, have also attracted scrutiny in Beijing, with officials concerned that they can undermine other currencies based around the world.

Reports suggest this RWA bond may be the first in a series of state-backed blockchain and Ethereum financial products tied to Hong Kong.

For now, the issuance shows China’s intent to cautiously explore blockchain without reopening the door to Bitcoin, stablecoins, or wider crypto adoption.

Featured image from Agoda, chart from TradingView 

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Hongji Feng

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Hongji Feng

About Author

Hongji is a reporter who covers crypto, finance, and tech. He graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s. He has previously interned at HTX,…

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August 24, 2025

The market for tokenized real-world assets (RWA) could expand to $16 trillion by 2030, according to the 2025 Skynet RWA Security Report.

The report said tokenized U.S. Treasuries have already grown rapidly, and are projected to reach $4.2 billion this year, with short-term government bonds accounting for most of the activity.

Institutional Interest in Tokenization

The report noted that traditional financial institutions and blockchain-native firms are driving adoption, using RWA products for both yield opportunities and liquidity management.

Skynet said major banks and asset managers are exploring tokenization as a way to digitize assets ranging from debt instruments to commodities. The report pointed to growing use cases in private credit, trade finance, and money market funds.

“This convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi) presents opportunities for improved efficiency, transparency, and accessibility,” the report stated.

It also noted that platforms in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States are setting regulatory frameworks that could accelerate institutional entry.

Challenges for RWA Growth

Despite the growth potential, the report outlined structural hurdles for the sector, including limited secondary market liquidity, varying legal treatment across jurisdictions, and the need for standardized risk controls.

Cybersecurity and smart contract vulnerabilities were also noted, with Skynet stressing that “use of regulated, qualified custodians with robust security infrastructure, such as federally chartered crypto banks or firms licensed by reputable authorities, is a critical factor.”

The report projected that infrastructure investments and regulatory clarity would be required to meet the forecast $16 trillion market size by the end of the decade.

“The powerful combination of reliable real-world yields with blockchain’s native liquidity and composability is drawing in both retail and institutional capital,” the report said.

While the tokenization of real-world assets is gaining traction in capital markets, many retail investors still lack direct access to these products. Bridging this gap may require regulated intermediaries and simplified on-ramps that align with existing investor protections.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Blockchain infrastructure platform Centrifuge has crossed $1 billion in total value locked (TVL), joining the ranks of BlackRock’s BUIDL fund and Ondo Finance as the only real-world asset (RWA) platforms to surpass the milestone.

Centrifuge CEO Bhaji Illuminati attributed the milestone to institutions moving from pilots to “real deployments,” alongside strong onchain allocator demand.

“Markets need more than T-bills,” Illuminati told Cointelegraph, pointing to JAAA, an onchain version of Janus Henderson’s AAA-rated collateralized loan obligation (CLO) investment fund, as a natural next step for institutions seeking higher yields than risk-free rates.

Illuminati said that US Treasurys remain the dominant entry point for onchain allocators, but the JAAA product is the fastest-growing tokenized fund in the segment. “We are also seeing rising interest in private credit as institutions look for differentiated yield, with more news coming soon on that front,” he added.

Related: GENIUS Act yield ban may push trillions into tokenized assets — ex-bank exec

Strong demand for tokenized S&P 500

In early July, Centrifuge unveiled a tokenized S&P 500 product as part of a partnership with S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). The product is structured as a regulated professional fund in the British Virgin Islands.

According to Illuminati, demand has been “very strong” ahead of its official rollout in the coming weeks. The launch will be supported by an anchor pool of capital to ensure broad accessibility from day one.

Illuminati added that the S&P 500 is only the beginning, with plans to bring sector-specific and thematic indexes onchain in the near future. “We see strong potential for sector and thematic index products to come onchain next,” he said.

Centrifuge’s pipeline is split between traditional asset managers using  Web3 native asset manager Anemoy and onchain-native managers leveraging its RWA Launchpad. On the demand side, stablecoins and yield products are the biggest buyers, using RWAs to set a “yield floor” for reserves.

Related: eToro to tokenize 100 most popular US stocks on Ethereum

deRWA to bring tokenized assets to retail

Illuminati highlighted plans to open tokenized assets to retail investors through major exchanges, wallets, lending protocols and DeFi integrations through the deRWA initiative. deRWA, as used in DeFi, stands for tokenized RWAs that are engineered for composability and liquidity within DeFi.

As reported, S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI) is also in discussions with major exchanges, custodians and DeFi protocols to license and list tokenized versions of its benchmarks, according to Stephanie Rowton, the firm’s director of US equities.

“By establishing these types of relationships, we hope we can work together to participate in a robust infrastructure that supports the trading and accessibility of tokenized versions of our indexes, ultimately enhancing the investor experience,” Rowton said.

Looking ahead, Illuminati expects public market RWAs such as Treasurys and equities to lead adoption in the short term due to liquidity and familiarity. However, he believes private markets will eventually dominate, as blockchain removes inefficiencies and unlocks hidden value.

In a report earlier this month, Boston Consulting Group and Ripple estimated that tokenized real-world assets could exceed $18 trillion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 53%.

Magazine: TradFi is building Ethereum L2s to tokenize trillions in RWAs — Inside story

]]> https://earlybirdsinvest.com/centrifuge-tops-1b-tvl-as-institutions-drive-tokenized-rwa-boom-ceo/feed/ 0 53652 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ripple-backed-epic-chain-to-launch-xrp-powered-rwa-tokenization-platform/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ripple-backed-epic-chain-to-launch-xrp-powered-rwa-tokenization-platform/#respond Sun, 17 Aug 2025 05:30:20 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/ripple-backed-epic-chain-to-launch-xrp-powered-rwa-tokenization-platform/

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Epic Chain, backed by Ripple, is taking a bold step into the future of finance with the launch of its XRP-native RWA tokenization platform. With Ripple’s support and XRP’s efficiency at its core, Epic Chain could lead the next wave of adoption, where trillions in real-world assets move seamlessly on-chain.

Ripple Backs New Real-World Assets Platform

In a release, Epic Chain is positioning itself at the center of the real-world assets (RWAs) tokenization wave, building an XRP-native platform to bring real estate, credit, commodities, and collectibles onto the blockchain. With the global RWA market estimated at over $50 trillion, Epic Chain’s positioning could be transformational.

Related Reading: From Day 1: Ripple CTO Says XRPL Was Made For Global Financial Infrastructure

Epic is currently valued at a modest $60 million FDV, and it trades on Binance, Bybit, and Kucoin, with further listings anticipated. Operating in over 150 countries, the project targets more than 100 million traders and is connected to over a million bank accounts, and has launched a $1 million adoption and liquidity program to drive global growth.

According to Route 2 FI, initially launched as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum, Epic is now migrating to an EVM-compatible XRP Ledger sidechain, unlocking native liquidity and tighter integration with XRP infrastructure. This pivot strengthens settlement speed, scalability, and ensures Epic Chain remains aligned with Ripple’s long-term vision of enterprise-grade blockchain adoption.    

One of the rare small-cap token survivors of multiple crypto market cycles, EPIC has transformed from a collectibles marketplace into a layer-2 RWA solution. Its integration with Ripple USD (RLUSD) allows native USD settlement, which is a critical feature for institutional yields, treasury management, and cross-border payments.

The Epic Chain pushes adoption through its “Epic One” VISA crypto card, offering up to 8% XRP cashback with no daily limits, spendable in over 180 countries. Meanwhile, its collectibles platform Fanable continues to attract thousands of users through licensed IP deals. 

Epic Chain’s positioning at the intersection of RWA tokenization and XRP integration gives it strong potential despite the risk from its history of pivots and XRP’s slower corporate pace. For both retail adopters and institutional markets, Epic could serve as a gateway into the XRP economy.

XRP Ledger As Backbone For Next-Gen Real Estate Finance

Amid this bold move, the XRP Ledger is set to enable the tokenization of $228 trillion in institutional real estate to be brought on-chain through the XRP Ledger Asset Program on August 18th. According to the RealFI post on X, this breakthrough allows assets traditionally managed off-chain to be brought on-chain via the REAL Token, which signals a transformative shift in the global real estate market toward blockchain adoption.

Related Reading: Chainlink Tipped To Outshine XRP In Global Banking Links: Analyst

Furthermore, RealFi’s solution empowers organizations of all sizes to issue Real Estate Tokens directly on the XRP Ledger. By leveraging blockchain technology, RealFi ensures ultra-low transaction fees, fast settlement, and seamless integration with the XRP ecosystem.

Featured image from iStock, chart from Tradingview.com

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

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The Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization market is gaining strength as momentum builds across the crypto sector. With Bitcoin entering price discovery after breaking past $112K and altcoins showing signs of a sustained recovery, RWA tokens are emerging as one of the most promising sectors within the digital asset space. Recent data reveals that the market cap for RWA tokens has reached $60 billion, supported by rising trading volume and growing institutional interest.

This surge comes as investors increasingly seek exposure to blockchain-backed financial instruments that represent tangible assets, such as bonds, real estate, private credit, and commodities. The appeal lies in the ability to bring traditionally illiquid assets on-chain with greater transparency, efficiency, and accessibility.

With macro tailwinds favoring the development of alternative markets and demand for yield-bearing instruments rising, RWAs are poised to play a defining role in the next phase of crypto adoption. As capital rotates across sectors, many investors are watching the RWA sector closely for signs of explosive growth.

RWA Sector Breaks Out

As the digital asset ecosystem matures, RWAs are emerging as a practical and scalable bridge between traditional finance and blockchain innovation. Stablecoins themselves—backed by fiat currency or US treasury bills—can be viewed as the most widely adopted RWA use case, with trillions in annual settlement volume and growing integration across both DeFi and payment platforms.

According to the Real World Asset Watchlist, a leading media publication tracking tokenized assets, the RWA sector has just broken out from a long consolidation phase. A recently shared chart shows that the market cap has surged past the $60 billion mark, marking a clean technical breakout that signals renewed investor confidence and institutional participation. With rising trading volumes and momentum building across key protocols, the next logical target is the $80 billion milestone.

This surge is not only a price-driven movement—it’s underpinned by structural developments, regulatory clarity, and growing on-chain infrastructure that enables secure tokenization, compliance, and real-world adoption.

As capital rotates from highly speculative narratives to more fundamental and yield-generating sectors, RWAs are becoming the centerpiece of the next cycle. The current breakout could serve as a pivotal catalyst, triggering an influx of new products, capital, and participants into the space. If sustained, this could position RWA as one of the primary drivers of crypto’s transition from speculative to institutional-grade finance.

Altcoin Market Cap Surges As Breakout Gains Momentum

The total crypto market cap excluding Bitcoin and Ethereum (TOTAL3) has just posted a decisive weekly breakout, now sitting at $938.6 billion. This move represents an 11.19% gain from the previous week, marking one of the strongest weekly performances of the year for altcoins. Price has convincingly broken above the 50-week moving average (currently at $798B), reclaiming bullish structure and targeting previous cycle highs.

This breakout occurs after months of consolidation above the 200-week and 100-week moving averages, both of which acted as key support levels. The surge in volume further confirms the strength of this move, suggesting growing participation from investors rotating capital into the altcoin space as Bitcoin leads the market into price discovery. The chart structure shows a pattern of higher lows, pointing to a potential macro uptrend resumption.

With key narratives like real-world asset tokenization (RWAs), DePIN, and Solana-based meme coin ecosystems gaining momentum, the TOTAL3 breakout could be signaling the start of a broader altcoin season.

Featured image from Dall-E, chart from TradingView

Editorial Process for bitcoinist is centered on delivering thoroughly researched, accurate, and unbiased content. We uphold strict sourcing standards, and each page undergoes diligent review by our team of top technology experts and seasoned editors. This process ensures the integrity, relevance, and value of our content for our readers.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) granted regulatory approval to QCD Money Market Fund (QCDT), making it the first tokenized money-market fund with an official set-up in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), according to Qatar National Bank (QNBK), while DMZ Finance, the companies behind the fund.

The fund’s investment strategy and asset origination is led by Qatar National Bank while DMZ Finance provides the technology underpinning its digital architecture, the companies said in a statement shared with CoinDesk.

The regulatory approval serves as evidence of Dubai and the Middle East’s growing role as a hub for compliant digital asset finance, particularly in the tokenization market. According to a joint report by Ripple and BCG, the global market for tokenized RWAs is projected to surge to $18.9 trillion by 2033, with jurisdictions like Dubai and Doha emerging as early leaders of this transformation.

“As the Middle East rapidly emerges as a global hub for financial innovation, the successful deployment of QCDT further consolidates QNB’s leadership in the regional financial ecosystem and reflects our long-term vision to shape the next generation of financial infrastructure,” Silas Lee, CEO of QNB Singapore, said in the statement.

The fund, launched to bring traditional assets, such as U.S. Treasuries, on-chain, aims to serve a broad spectrum of institutional applications, including bank-eligible collateral, stablecoin backing, exchange reserves and Web3 payment infrastructure. With its regulatory compliance, yield stability and on-chain transparency, the backers say they expect it to catalyze adoption across both financial and crypto-native institutions.

“Tokenization of real-world assets is no longer experimental — it is foundational,” said Nathan Ma, co-founder and chairman of DMZ Finance. “Our goal at DMZ is to provide the connective tissue between traditional markets and the digital asset ecosystem, particularly in regions ready for innovation.”

DMZ Finance is a Singapore-based fintech company focused on the tokenization and custody of real world assets

. The QNB Group was established in 1964 as Qatar’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank, with 50% ownership held by the Qatar Investment Authority.

XRP Ledger posted the second-largest 30-day increase in tokenized real-world assets (RWA), adding 34.6% to reach $157.4 million, data from rwa.xyz shows. 

Only Aptos outpaced that monthly growth, expanding nearly 57% to $539.3 million, while Ethereum maintained the lead by total value at $7.55 billion, with a 2.4% gain.

Notably, the XRP Ledger is the 10th-largest blockchain by total tokenized RWA value, but it displays the third-smallest number of projects, with six initiatives.

However, this number is set to rise following a recent partnership between Ripple and Brazilian crypto platform Mercado Bitcoin, which aims to tokenize $200 million using the XRP Ledger.

Aptos and XRP Ledger headed the leaderboard by percentage growth. Algorand advanced 21.8% to reach $294.7 million, and Solana added 18.5% to hit $415.0 million. 

Stellar was the only top-ten network to shrink, slipping 5.7% to $467.7 million. Ethereum and ZKsync Era, which account for more than three-quarters of the tracked value, recorded low single-digit moves. XRP Ledger’s share of the indexed market now stands at 1.2%.

Inside XRP Ledger’s tokenization stack

US Treasury debt comprises the largest slice of tokenized value on XRP Ledger at $90.1 million, or roughly 57% of the network’s RWA base. Public equity receipts follow at $55.4 million, with non-US sovereign debt and real-estate tokens contributing $11.9 million and $2.9 million, respectively.

Archax anchors the ledger’s protocol table with $112.1 million across three instruments, equal to 55.6% of on-chain value, while Ondo holds $30.1 million.

Furthermore, token volumes on XRP Ledger are set to widen. The Brazilian exchange Mercado Bitcoin announced on July 4 that it plans to tokenize more than $200 million in permissioned fixed-income and equity-income products on the blockchain. 

According to Ripple, the effort ranks among the most extensive Latin American tokenization campaigns. It builds on Mercado Bitcoin’s record of issuing more than R$1 billion ($182 million) in on-chain private credit assets with zero defaults. 

The exchange will utilize XRP Ledger’s native settlement layer to distribute the instruments across South America and Europe.

Ripple noted that Mercado Bitcoin already uses Ripple Payments for cross-border treasury transfers between Brazil and Portugal and listed the RLUSD stablecoin on its venue earlier this year. 

If completed in full, the new issuance would more than double the ledger’s current RWA capitalization and move the network higher in RWA.xyz’s rankings.

Mentioned in this article