Hey folks,
Crypto has gone full circle, from trading memes to tokenizing skyscrapers.
If 2021 was the year of NFTs and 2024 was the year of memecoins, 2025 is quietly becoming the year of Real-World Assets (RWAs).
That’s right. The newest wave of crypto adoption isn’t happening on gaming platforms or social networks, but in bonds, real estate, treasuries, and private credit.
And it’s pulling billions of dollars of institutional capital on-chain.
The RWA boom: Why it matters
RWAs bring traditional financial assets like U.S. Treasuries, real estate, or corporate debt onto blockchains as tokenized instruments.
Each token represents ownership of a real, yield-generating asset, giving investors the transparency and accessibility of DeFi with the stability of traditional finance.
In 2023, tokenized treasuries barely crossed $500 million in market size. By Q4 2025, that number is now over $13.2 billion, led by institutions like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and Ondo Finance.
That’s a 25x growth in under two years, and it’s just the beginning.
Why everyone’s suddenly talking about RWAs
Yield meets liquidity
With global interest rates hovering near 4–5%, tokenized bonds and treasuries now offer DeFi-native yield without the wild swings of crypto tokens.
Institutions are already here
BlackRock’s BUIDL fund on Ethereum hit $500M AUM within months. Franklin Templeton’s OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund surpassed $400M.
The signal is clear: real-world money is finally settling on-chain.
Faster, frictionless settlement
Traditional markets settle trades in days. RWAs on Ethereum or Polygon settle in seconds without clearing houses or intermediaries.
Composable finance
Tokenized assets can plug directly into DeFi apps, meaning you can stake your tokenized treasury as collateral, borrow stablecoins, or earn yield on it, all at once.
The BUIDLers behind the movement
Ondo Finance (ONDO)
A pioneer in tokenized treasuries. Its USDY token is backed by short-term U.S. Treasuries and bank deposits, bridging traditional yield into DeFi.
Founded by ex-Goldman Sachs executives, Ondo’s ecosystem now spans Ethereum, Solana, and Mantle.
Centrifuge (CFG)
Centrifuge connects DeFi to real-world financing like invoices and real estate loans. It tokenizes real assets, lets investors fund them via pools, and uses its native token CFG for governance and staking.
Maple Finance (MPL)
Known as the “crypto credit marketplace,” Maple lets institutions lend capital to vetted borrowers through on-chain loan books. It’s a hybrid of DeFi efficiency and TradFi due diligence.
Superstate and Franklin Templeton
Traditional giants are using public chains like Ethereum to issue fully regulated tokenized mutual funds, a huge validation for the space.
Where this is headed
Think about it: If even 1% of global bond markets ($150 trillion) moved on-chain, it would dwarf all of crypto’s $2 trillion market cap today.
In that scenario, RWAs wouldn’t just be a niche; they would become the foundation of a new, programmable financial system.
Tokenization turns assets into software.
Once that happens, they can trade, settle, and interconnect across protocols instantly; no brokers, no banking hours, no intermediaries.
The catch
RWAs still face regulatory uncertainty, custody challenges, and on-chain transparency issues.
Many tokens remain restricted to accredited investors. And while the tech is ready, legal frameworks are playing catch-up.
But if crypto’s long-term narrative is “bridging the old and new worlds,” this is that bridge being built in real time.
The next generation of DeFi won’t replace TradFi; it will absorb it.
Lastly, research, verify, and invest responsibly. And DYOR, the crypto space moves fast!
Over the past week, crypto markets saw sharp swings, from Bitcoin’s all-time high on October 7 to a $19B liquidation fueled by U.S.–China trade tensions. The downturn was quickly followed by a rebound, with Bitcoin climbing to $115k level. Ethereum, Cardano, and Dogecoin surged significantly in the past 24 hours, driven by bargain hunting and renewed confidence, aided by easing geopolitical tensions and strong ETF inflows stabilizing the market.
Weekly price movement:
BTC $115,498 ⏬ 6.83% (7d)
ETH $4,186 ⏬ 8.41% (7d)
BNB $1,343 ⏫ 10.91% (7d)
MNT $2.23 ⏫ 4.14% (7d)
ZEC $269 ⏫ 68.75% (7d)
(All data here as of 1:00 p.m., 13 October 2025)
Before we conclude, here’s a quick look at some important news from around the crypto world.
The UK officially lifted its multi-year retail ban on crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs), saying the digital asset market has matured enough for individuals to invest through regulated products, even if investors will have to wait a little longer to add them to their portfolios. In an update, the FCA confirmed that retail investors can now buy crypto ETNs (cETNS) listed on FCA-recognized exchanges, such as the London Stock Exchange, according to CoinDesk.
Jupiter, a decentralized trading platform on Solana, has announced plans to launch its stablecoin in partnership with Ethena Labs. The new token, called JupUSD, is scheduled to go live in mid-Q4 2025. JupUSD will be integrated across all Jupiter products, serving as collateral on its perpetual futures exchange, a liquidity asset in Jupiter’s lending pools, and a trading pair, according to Cointelegraph.
That’s it for now. Thanks for sticking around.
See you later, folks! 👋