RWAs Skyrocket to $10B: Will Tokenized Real-World Assets Overtake DeFi in 2025?

The post RWAs Skyrocket to $10B: Will Tokenized Real-World Assets Overtake DeFi in 2025? appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

In 2025, the cryptocurrency world underwent a major shift with the rise of Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization, bringing traditional assets like real estate and stocks into the world of decentralized finance (DeFi).

The total value locked (TVL) in RWAs surpassed $10 billion, marking a growing trend towards tokenizing real-world assets for faster settlements, fractional ownership, and 24/7 trading.

Key developments include partnerships like RWA Inc. and Novastro, which bring AI-driven solutions for better security and compliance. This shift is seen as a key moment for DeFi, making financial markets more accessible and efficient, with predictions that RWAs could become dominant in the sector.

Notably, Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is gaining momentum, proving to be one of the most resilient sectors during the crypto market slump. Big financial players, including BlackRock and its BUIDL fund, are showing strong interest in this growing space.

Strikingly, RWA has been the top performer in crypto this year, with an average growth of 237%. While most sectors struggled, Bitcoin, privacy coins, and exchange tokens saw some profits.

The top RWA crypto projects are Mantra, which hit an all-time high on Feb. 23, and ONDO. PENDLE, once a top 100 player, has dropped to #131 in 2025. Crypto analyst rektdiomedes remains extremely bullish on RWAs, especially Maple Finance, predicting a major growth in securitization and capital market infrastructure within the crypto industry. If the trend continues, Maple Finance could benefit greatly, as it specializes in institutional credit and on-chain capital markets.

The DeFi Investor recently shared that the total value of RWAs has doubled in the past year, now surpassing $18 billion, with most of that value coming from Private Credit.

Furthermore, the number of holders and unique RWA interactions over time are both at all-time highs and increasing.

BlackRock’s tokenized treasury fund, BUIDL, has hit $1 billion in assets, making it the largest tokenized RWA. Meanwhile, Hashnote, the issuer of a tokenized money market fund acquired by Circle in January, ranks second with nearly $900 million, showing the biggest one year change.

Li Lang, CEO of HashKey OTC, believes that tokenizing sustainable assets, such as renewable energy projects and carbon credits, is an exciting opportunity for 2025.

RWAs are now being integrated with Layer-1 and Layer-2 blockchain solutions to enhance scalability and lower transaction costs, addressing major barriers to adoption. Liang highlighted MANTRA’s growth, attributing its success to a user-focused approach. 

While he acknowledges that a potential bear market could create challenges, he believes RWAs are more resilient than other speculative assets. He highlighted that RWAs stand out because they are backed by real-world value and offer stable cash flows, making them more resilient and less vulnerable than speculative crypto assets.

Liang believes that whether RWAs surpass DeFi depends on institutional adoption and clear regulations.