BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, the head of the world’s largest asset manager, has spent the last 18 months telling anyone who’ll listen that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) needs to give the green light for the tokenization of practically everything. Tokenization is the process of representing ownership of assets, such as bonds and stocks, as digital tokens on a blockchain.
He first made the case to CNBC’s Squawk Box at Davos, Switzerland, in January 2025 and hasn’t let up since, pushing it in annual letters to shareholders, earnings calls, and even op-eds.
What was once on Fink’s wish list is now in the process of being delivered. Here’s what that means for investors in leading cryptocurrencies.
Image source: Getty Images.
The regulatory plumbing is finally getting installed
BlackRock’s ambitions in the crypto sector are constrained until Congress and the SEC create a clear framework for tokenized securities.
That framework looks like it’s on track to arrive soon. The Clarity Act, a bill dividing digital asset oversight between the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), passed the House in July 2025. An important compromise between senators regarding stablecoin yield was supposedly reached in early May, potentially clearing the path for a Senate markup and increasing the odds of it being signed into law.
And as if on cue, on May 3, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) filed with the SEC to trade tokenized versions of eligible equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) alongside their traditional counterparts under a pilot program. Nasdaq secured approval for a similar framework in March.
Meanwhile, the total of tradeable tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) in the crypto sector has surged to roughly $30.9 billion, up from about $9.9 billion a year ago. So capital is moving, exchanges are positioning themselves, and regulations look to be on track to shift.
Which chains stand to capture the spoils
If tokenization gets fully approved by the SEC and it scales up to become a major theme in the financial industry, the chains where assets are issued and traded will likely capture enormous value.
Ethereum (ETH +1.50%) is the incumbent, handling about 56% of tokenized real-world asset settlements and serving as BlackRock’s initial chain for its tokenized money market fund. Its deep ecosystem of tools shaping the future of cryptocurrency gives asset issuers flexible infrastructure, and its $165.6 billion in stablecoin capital will make it the obvious first choice for institutional players.
Today’s Change
(1.50%) $34.34
Current Price
$2316.30
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$280B
Day’s Range
$2268.68 – $2320.17
52wk Range
$1756.73 – $4946.05
Volume
19B
For its part, Solana (SOL +4.97%) has been gaining ground as an institutional settlement layer, especially for tokenized stocks, and BlackRock is active on the chain as well.
Today’s Change
(4.97%) $4.37
Current Price
$92.39
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$53B
Day’s Range
$87.69 – $92.72
52wk Range
$70.61 – $252.78
Volume
3.6B
Other chains might benefit too, but for the moment, Ethereum and Solana are the most obviously exposed to upside. Consider buying them if you want to pick up some growth from the trend toward tokenization.
