Deposits of tokenized real-world assets have surged more than threefold to $7.4 billion, according to new research from CoinShares, even as broader decentralized finance activity contracted sharply over the same period.
Tokenized Assets Take Off
The report highlights a rapid expansion in the market for tokenized versions of traditional financial instruments. Gold, U.S. Treasuries and the S&P 500 index emerged as the primary drivers of the growth, reflecting investor appetite for familiar assets brought on-chain.
The tripling of deposits to $7.4 billion underscores how tokenization has become one of the standout narratives in crypto, drawing interest from both retail participants and institutional players seeking blockchain-based exposure to conventional markets.
Gold, Treasuries and the S&P 500 powered a threefold surge in tokenized deposits to $7.4 billion.
The trend suggests that users are increasingly comfortable holding representations of stable, yield-bearing or safe-haven assets on decentralized platforms, rather than confining their activity to purely crypto-native tokens.
DeFi Activity Slides
The rise in tokenized assets stands in stark contrast to the performance of decentralized finance more broadly. According to CoinShares, spot trading volumes on decentralized exchanges tumbled by roughly 70% over the course of the year.
That steep decline points to waning appetite for on-chain speculative trading, even as the underlying infrastructure continues to attract capital through tokenized real-world assets. The divergence signals a possible shift in how participants are using decentralized platforms.
Key takeaways from the research include:
- Tokenized asset deposits climbed to $7.4 billion, roughly triple their earlier level.
- Gold, Treasuries and the S&P 500 led the gains.
- Spot volumes on decentralized exchanges fell about 70%.
Taken together, the figures paint a picture of a maturing sector where the appeal of tokenized traditional assets is growing even as enthusiasm for decentralized exchange trading cools.