The era of experimental Real-World Asset (RWA) tokenization is over, with 2026 marking a pivotal shift towards active, liquid global markets and institutional-scale adoption. This transition is being driven by a strategic focus on market liquidity, programmable compliance, and the unification of post-trade systems, as highlighted in a joint market forecast from digital asset solutions provider ChainUp and Singapore-licensed RWA exchange 1exchange (1X).
The "Proof of Concept" phase that dominated 2025 has concluded. "In 2026, success will be measured by whether these assets can deliver continuous market liquidity beyond the initial issuance stage," stated Sheena Lim, CEO of 1exchange. This shift is underscored by major institutional movements, including the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) unveiling plans for 24/7 blockchain-based trading of tokenized stocks and Nasdaq's recent proposal to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to integrate tokenized assets into its framework.
A core evolution for 2026 is the move towards "Programmable Trust," where compliance, risk controls, and transfer restrictions are embedded directly into an asset's smart contract. This is anchored by On-Chain Delivery-versus-Payment (DvP) settlement, which synchronizes asset delivery and payment within a single automated framework to eliminate manual reconciliation and traditional "T+2" settlement delays. "Compliance has evolved from a value-add to a baseline requirement for institutional growth," explained Sailor Zhong, Founder & CEO of ChainUp.
Concurrently, Brazil has emerged as a global epicenter for this shift, with Liqi Digital Assets and the XDC Network surpassing a milestone of $100 million in tokenized RWAs. This volume, comprised of assets like Corporate Credit Notes (CCBs), signals a move from pilot projects to operational scale. "Our target of US$ 500 million in issuances through 2026 reflects a growing appetite from institutional investors," said Daniel Coquieri, CEO of Liqi Digital Assets.
The success in Brazil is attributed to a unique synergy between regulators—the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM)—and the private sector, including major banks like Banco Itaú, Banco ABC, and Banco BV. The BCB's Drex (Digital Real) project has provided a technical foundation for financial modernization.
Infrastructure choice has become a critical competitive advantage. Liqi selected the XDC Network for its enterprise-grade features, including ISO 20022 compliance for banking interoperability, deterministic finality for settlement certainty, and strict cost predictability—essential for protecting margins in high-volume credit settlements. "Our partnership with Liqi highlights the strategic role of the XDC Network in delivering institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure," noted Diego Consimo, Head of LATAM at XDC Network.
The industry is now moving towards a Modular Market Structure to unify custody, clearing, and execution, replacing siloed systems with a blockchain-native "Single Source of Truth." This, combined with a "flight to quality" towards regulated hubs like Singapore, Dubai, and the EU, and the development of Tokenized Asset Mobility via MPC-based custody, is operationalizing blockchain for the global financial core. "We are transforming digital assets from a technical novelty into a scalable institutional standard," concluded Sailor Zhong.
