Bitcoin Leads Crypto Market as RWA Tokenization Gains Traction

The second half of 2026 saw Bitcoin maintain its position as the largest cryptocurrency by market value, followed closely by Ethereum. Stablecoins continued to play a significant role in crypto markets, with Tether and USDC ranking among the top five.

Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization gained traction during this period, with investors showing increased interest in tokenized funds, gold, credit, and securities on blockchain networks. According to CoinGecko's RWA category, Figure Heloc ranked first with a market cap of approximately $19.73 billion.

Stellar ranked second, followed closely by Chainlink, which powers the data infrastructure for RWAs. Circle USYC and Tether Gold also made it into the top five, with PAX Gold ranking eighth. Ondo's strength in tokenized treasuries was highlighted, with its technology enabling instant minting and redemption of tokenized U.S. Treasuries.

The market remained cautious in early July, with Bitcoin trading near $62,604 and Ethereum at $1,757. The RWA category had a market cap of around $63.60 billion, with 24-hour trading volume reaching $37.45 billion.