Tokenization Speeds Up, But DeFi Integration Lags Behind

Tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is advancing rapidly, but a major constraint remains: integrating tokenized products into decentralized finance (DeFi). According to a research note by Standard Chartered's head of digital assets research, Geoff Kendrick, only about 3% of stablecoins and 10% of RWAs are currently used in DeFi. He projects that these shares could rise to 30% by 2030.

Treasury instruments are the largest RWA on-chain category by distributed value at around $15 billion, supported by yield-bearing demand. Tokenized private credit is growing but still smaller than Treasuries, at roughly $6.2 billion across major issuer platforms. Tokenized stocks are a small share overall, yet growth is accelerating alongside broader market-structure pilots.

Tokenized commodities have shown resilience during market closures, with on-chain perpetuals seeing sharply higher weekend volumes in early 2026. Kendrick's research notes that DeFi adoption could be the real bottleneck for tokenization, as it requires robust token standards, reliable custody, and operational integrations with trading venues.