Recently, I’ve been seeing more and more questions about what RWA is. Tokenization of real-world assets is being talked about as a bridge that connects traditional finance and blockchain, which is drawing a lot of attention from the market.

In simple terms, RWA is the process of tokenizing real-world assets—such as real estate, bonds, stocks, and even gold and oil—on the blockchain, so they can be traded within a digital financial ecosystem. This enables global investors to access these assets beyond geographical constraints and complex procedures.

The entry of institutional investors is accelerating. The fact that major financial institutions such as BlackRock and JP Morgan have started working on tokenizing blockchain-based bonds and stocks is proof that RWA is truly an area worth paying attention to. At the same time, many countries are beginning to clarify regulations regarding digital assets, lowering barriers to entry for institutional investors.

For crypto investors, RWA also represents a new way to diversify their portfolios. The ability to gain exposure to real-world assets without leaving the blockchain ecosystem is highly appealing in the midst of market volatility.

When looking at projects expected to grow in 2025, MANTRA (OM) has a market capitalization of $6.2 billion and focuses on tokenizing real estate assets and infrastructure. Its strength lies in its focus on the real estate sector, which has a market worth trillions of dollars, as well as its ability to build strategic partnerships with multiple financial institutions and Web3 projects.

ONDO (ONDO) has a market capitalization of $2.6 billion, and it is working on tokenizing traditional financial products such as bonds and treasury bills. Through partnerships with major institutions such as BlackRock, it aims to provide the general public with assets that are typically accessible only to institutional investors. It is differentiated by offering more stable fixed income compared to cryptocurrencies.

Quant (QNT) has a circulating market value of about $1 billion and is developing Overledger technology to enable interoperability between blockchains. By making it possible to integrate traditional financial systems with blockchain technology, it serves as the infrastructure that supports large-scale adoption of asset tokenization.

The XDC Network (XDC) has a market capitalization of approximately $580 million and specializes in funding for international trade. It tokenizes trade assets such as invoices and letters of credit so they can be traded efficiently, and it has advantages like faster speeds and lower costs compared with other blockchains. It also receives support from the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Polymesh (POLYX) has a market capitalization of about $60 million and is a blockchain dedicated to tokenizing securities such as stocks, bonds, and private equity. It is designed with regulatory compliance as the top priority, making it an attractive option for financial institutions that want to adopt blockchain technology.

I believe that RWA is not just a trend, but a sector that symbolizes a fundamental transformation of the financial system. With increasing adoption by institutional investors, regulations becoming clearer, and real-world convenience being provided, it is highly likely to grow further from 2025 to 2026. Projects like MANTRA, ONDO, Quant, XDC, and Polymesh are expected to provide important growth opportunities for investors who are seeking exposure to real-world assets within the crypto ecosystem. I think it’s also worth keeping an eye on the developments of these projects on Gate.io.