Nick Baker

Nick Baker

Former Deputy Editor in Chief

CoinDesk

Featured Sessions

Friday, March 20, 2026
1:05 pm

As the financial industry explores the next wave of innovation, tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) has emerged as one of the most promising—yet misunderstood—frontiers. From bonds and real estate to trade finance and private credit, tokenization offers the potential for greater liquidity, transparency, and efficiency. But despite its promise, widespread adoption remains limited by regulatory uncertainty, technical integration challenges, and market readiness.

This panel discussion will explore the real benefits and the practical obstacles of tokenization, giving TradFi on-chain newcomers a grounded understanding of where the value truly lies, what barriers must be addressed, and how TradFi institutions can strategically engage in this evolving landscape. Among the topics to be addressed:

  • Efficiency and accessibility: How tokenization can streamline issuance, settlement, and secondary trading of traditionally illiquid assets.
  • Risk and regulation: Key legal, compliance, and custody considerations slowing institutional adoption.
  • Interoperability and standards: The importance of common frameworks to ensure scalability and cross-platform asset mobility.
  • Distribution: why access to institutional channels ultimately determines product viability
  • The importance of data analytics in providing clarity on the market
  • Path to adoption: What institutional infrastructure, governance models, and partnerships are needed to move from pilots to production.