Tokenization is undoubtedly one of the most promising tracks to watch in 2026. This wave goes far beyond the scope of RWA (Real World Assets), redefining how value flows—transforming rights, assets, and revenue streams into programmable, freely tradable digital forms.
Next year's tokenization boom will exhibit two obvious characteristics:
First is the expansion of coverage. Government bonds and private credit are no longer novel; the next step is the tokenization of intellectual property, carbon emission rights, personal time, and even future income streams. Some pioneering projects are already exploring ways to involve retail investors in private equity investments, opening up a whole new battlefield.
Second is the competition for infrastructure. Those who can build compliant, secure, low-cost issuance and management platforms will occupy the top positions. Ethereum remains the main arena for competition, and industry forecasts predict that driven by institutions, stablecoins, and RWA, its TVL could increase tenfold by 2026.
What is the takeaway for investors? Instead of blindly chasing individual tokens, it’s better to focus on the underlying public chains, oracles, and compliance service protocols that support the entire tokenization wave. These are the real "shovels"—in any gold rush, those selling tools often fare more steadily than miners. The ultimate goal of tokenization is to make the flow of value as free as information, which will profoundly change the future of asset allocation.
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SmartContractRebel
· 6h ago
Basically, it's about buying shovels instead of coins. This logic has been tired of hearing during the bear market... But this time is different; personal time and future income can both be tokenized, which is a bit outrageous.
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LiquidationOracle
· 6h ago
The shovel theory is back, but this time it seems to have some substance. However, personal time tokenization... feels a bit fantastical.
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0xSoulless
· 6h ago
Talking about the shovel theory again, same story every round. Wait, can personal time also be tokenized? Then how much is my slack-off time worth...
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NFTHoarder
· 6h ago
Shovel theory is back, but this time it's actually quite interesting. Instead of chasing those flashy tokens, the underlying infrastructure is truly the thing that will last the longest.
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Can personal time be tokenized? Then how much is my leisure time worth? Haha.
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A tenfold increase in Ethereum sounds great, but whether it can actually handle that when the time comes is another matter.
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No one really pays attention to compliance service agreements; instead, everyone is hyping hot coins. No wonder there are always more leek-cutting scammers than shovel sellers.
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Tokenization of intellectual property is a bit innovative; compared to the traditional government bond approach, it’s definitely more imaginative.
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It sounds good, but the key is whether someone can truly implement these things; otherwise, it’s just pie in the sky.
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Wait, if personal future income can be tokenized, isn’t that a modern version of a "bonds of servitude"?
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ShibaOnTheRun
· 6h ago
The logic of selling shovels sounds good, but how many people are truly willing to go all-in on infrastructure?
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CascadingDipBuyer
· 6h ago
Another 10x growth, tired of hearing this rhetoric
The ones truly making money are already laying out infrastructure, retail investors are still chasing concepts
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AirdropHunterWang
· 6h ago
The shovels theory is back again, this time focusing on infrastructure? Honestly, a 10x growth for Ethereum is a bit exaggerated, but the underlying technology is indeed durable.
Tokenization is undoubtedly one of the most promising tracks to watch in 2026. This wave goes far beyond the scope of RWA (Real World Assets), redefining how value flows—transforming rights, assets, and revenue streams into programmable, freely tradable digital forms.
Next year's tokenization boom will exhibit two obvious characteristics:
First is the expansion of coverage. Government bonds and private credit are no longer novel; the next step is the tokenization of intellectual property, carbon emission rights, personal time, and even future income streams. Some pioneering projects are already exploring ways to involve retail investors in private equity investments, opening up a whole new battlefield.
Second is the competition for infrastructure. Those who can build compliant, secure, low-cost issuance and management platforms will occupy the top positions. Ethereum remains the main arena for competition, and industry forecasts predict that driven by institutions, stablecoins, and RWA, its TVL could increase tenfold by 2026.
What is the takeaway for investors? Instead of blindly chasing individual tokens, it’s better to focus on the underlying public chains, oracles, and compliance service protocols that support the entire tokenization wave. These are the real "shovels"—in any gold rush, those selling tools often fare more steadily than miners. The ultimate goal of tokenization is to make the flow of value as free as information, which will profoundly change the future of asset allocation.