RWA

ARK Invest's "Big Ideas 2026" report projects the crypto market could reach $28 trillion by 2030, with Bitcoin potentially representing around 70% of that value. The firm estimates Bitcoin's price could approach $950,000 to $1 million by 2030 as adoption increases, alongside substantial growth from DeFi, stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets.

Chainlink has introduced 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams that bring major stocks and ETFs on-chain for continuous trading and DeFi use cases. The system converts fragmented U.S. equity data into cryptographically signed, sub-second feeds, covering regular, pre-market, post-market, and overnight sessions. Several exchanges and DeFi platforms have already integrated the service to power RWA markets and equity derivatives.

On Wednesday, Pantera Capital released its latest blockchain letter, reviewing the difficult conditions of 2025 and outlining an upbeat outlook for the rest of 2026. The firm points to macro factors, Federal Reserve rate cuts, and regulatory moves such as the GENIUS Act as shaping market sentiment, while also highlighting growing institutional blockchain adoption. Looking ahead, Pantera expects strong momentum in real-world assets, stablecoin innovation by major banks, and a robust year for digital asset IPOs.

On January 21, Ondo Finance deployed more than 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs on the Solana blockchain, expanding its presence beyond Ethereum and BNB Chain. The move makes Ondo the largest real-world asset issuer on Solana by asset count and lets users trade tokenized equities onchain at brokerage-level prices. ONDO’s market performance remains volatile around this launch, with locked value, trading volume and token unlocks closely watched by traders.

On January 21, 2026, Chainlink introduced on-chain data streams for US stocks and ETFs, offering real-time coverage 24 hours a day, five days a week, including premarket and after-hours. The service spans more than 40 blockchains and opens access to an American equity market valued at $80 trillion. Early integrations include Lighter, BitMEX, ApeX, and Orderly Network.

On January 21, 2026, Arca CIO Jeff Dorman argued that crypto is in an "existential crisis," claiming value from tokenization and stablecoin adoption is accruing to intermediaries and only a few DeFi tokens, token launchpads, and GLXY stock may benefit. Macro investor Dan Tapiero disagreed, while BTC was $88,992, down 1.9% over the past 24 hours.

Ondo Global Markets will list over 200 tokenized stocks and ETFs on Solana, aiming to reach more than 2.8M daily active users. The firm says its liquidity model connects to NASDAQ and NYSE, positioning the Solana expansion to compete with XStocks and extend Ondo's RWA footprint after earlier launches on Ethereum and BNB Chain.

XDC Foundation executive Billy Sebell argues that trade finance is blockchain's most significant real-world use case, citing a $9.7-trillion market and a $2.5-trillion funding gap. He points to the UK's 2023 Electronic Trade Documents Act and the US 2025 GENIUS Act, plus $18.9 billion in tokenized private credit, as catalysts for on-chain receivables and SME liquidity.

The New York Stock Exchange, backed by Intercontinental Exchange, is developing a blockchain-based platform for on‑chain trading and settlement of tokenized US equities and ETFs, designed to operate around the clock. The system will merge the NYSE Pillar matching engine with blockchain post-trade processes, support stablecoin-funded fractional orders, and rely on tokenized deposits from banks such as BNY and Citi to maintain continuous collateral. Its rollout coincides with the US move to T+1 settlement and a macro backdrop where lower interest rates and the rise of tokenized US Treasuries and Bitcoin spot ETFs are reshaping institutional liquidity management.

Gold's move beyond $4,800 has coincided with a surge in tokenized gold, with XAUT and PAXG drawing elevated activity. A CEX.io report says trading in these assets totaled $178 billion in 2025, including $126 billion in Q4, placing the segment behind only GLD by volume among U.S.-listed funds.