The crypto market has witnessed explosive growth in recent months, especially within the realm of real-world assets (RWAs). In essence, RWAs refer to tokenized forms of traditional assets like real estate, private equity, debt securities, and more that are backed by their real-world counterparts. By bridging these traditional investment vehicles onto the blockchain, RWAs unlock liquidity and fractional ownership in a way that was previously unfeasible.
According to experts, the total value of this nascent asset class is projected to grow exponentially over the coming years, with estimates ranging anywhere from $3.5 trillion to as high as $16 trillion by 2030. In fact, the market’s current valuation has already crossed the $8.5 billion mark, with a growing list of mainstream entities continuing to enter this space.
Therefore, as this innovative space continues gaining traction and unlocking liquidity for traditionally illiquid assets, RWAs are being viewed as the next frontier for growth in decentralized finance (DeFi). According to Manit Parikh, CEO of financial services firm Binary Holdings: “Integrating RWA into DeFi can facilitate cross-chain interoperability, enabling seamless value transfer between traditional financial systems and decentralized networks.”
In this article, we will seek to list out the 3 RWA projects in the market today. So, without any further ado, let’s get straight into it.
MANTRA
MANTRA has positioned itself as the blockchain for tokenized RWAs and regulated digital assets. Founded in 2020, MANTRA is a fully compliant, regulatory-friendly multi-asset platform that aims to bridge traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). A key focus for MANTRA is developing products and features that meet regulatory requirements, making the platform attractive for institutions seeking regulated exposure to RWAs and digital assets in a trusted, compliant environment.
MANTRA’s core products include a central limit order book (CLOB), which enables the trading of unique tokenized RWAs such as debt securities, real estate, private equity funds, and more. Most recently, MANTRA secured $11 million in funding from Shorooq Partners and other strategic investors.
The capital is reportedly going to be used to build regulatory-compliant infrastructure, provide developer tools for building RWA protocols on the MANTRA, and expand RWA tokenization opportunities globally, with an extra focus on the Middle East and Asia markets. By streamlining transactions for tokenized real-world assets, MANTRA aims to open new investment channels, foster entrepreneurship, and attract global investors to historically underserved regions.
Ondo Finance
Ondo Finance is a pioneering venture that seeks to bridge the gap between traditional financial instruments and blockchain tech. While its core offering revolves around making DeFi yields accessible through risk-isolated, fixed-yield crypto loans, Ondo has been at the helm of the RWA tokenization revolution from day one.
A key innovation from Ondo is the creation of offerings like USDY, a stablecoin providing exposure to US Treasuries, and OUSG, a token representing on-chain US government securities. By tokenizing real-world assets like government debt, Ondo unlocks enhanced liquidity, accessibility, and transparency compared to legacy markets. Investors can seamlessly trade these tokenized assets around the clock without relying on intermittent trading windows.
Ondo has also developed core infrastructure like the Ondo Bridge to facilitate seamless transfers of these novel tokenized assets across multiple blockchain networks. Experts believe this cross-chain interoperability will be crucial for their continued real-world adoption.
Lastly, the Ondo team seems to have implemented an aggressive global expansion strategy, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region, where investors’ appetite for RWA exposure seems to be growing rapidly.
BUIDL
In a landmark move for the digital asset industry, BlackRock recently launched its BUIDL platform (BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund). From the outside looking in, BUIDL represents the world’s largest asset manager’s first tokenized fund offering on the Ethereum blockchain. In fact, since its release, a whopping $1 Billion in US Treasuries have already been transferred on-chain.
Through BUIDL, qualified institutional investors with a minimum $5 million investment can earn yields on their US dollar holdings via tokenization. The fund maintains a high level of regulatory compliance by issuing shares under SEC rules and partnering with major players like Coinbase, Anchorage Digital Bank NA, BitGo, and Fireblocks.
Lastly, it bears mentioning that BUIDL’s strategy focuses on investing in cash, US Treasury bills, and repurchase agreements managed by BlackRock Financial Management. The fund aims to distribute dividends as new tokens monthly while maintaining a stable token value pegged to the US dollar.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
