Coinbase CEO calls tokenized stocks ‘inevitable’ amid CLARITY Act uncertainty

In less than a year, the tokenized stock market has risen from zero to nearly $1 billion and could explode if regulatory clarity is established for the sector. 

Despite the recent legislative hiccups with the CLARITY Act, the Coinbase CEO has remained bullish on on-chain stocks. On X (formerly Twitter), he said tokenized stocks will be huge and added, 

“It’s inevitable – faster, cheaper, more global”

Sizing tokenized markets

Tokenized equities and ETFs are the on-chain version of traditional shares. Most projections for the sector range from a few trillion dollars to tens of trillions by 2030.

For McKinsey, the market could reach $3.8 trillion in an accelerated adoption scenario with clear and permitted regulation.  

Source: McKinsey

In other words, the massive potential is undeniable. In fact, a recent survey by asset manager Bitwise found that stablecoins and tokenization had the highest interest among the financial advisors interviewed.  

“Stablecoins and tokenization attracted the most interest (30%), followed by “digital gold”/fiat debasement (22%) and crypto-linked AI investments (19%).”

Source: X/Bitwise

This was a telltale sign of the immense potential and institutional interest in tokenization. Commenting on the survey, Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said, 

“Crypto’s future has always depended on what financial advisors think of it.”

Tokenization rules split industry

However, the future growth hinges on clear rules for issuers. But the industry appears divided over the provisions of the Senate’s crypto market structure bill regarding tokenized securities. 

For Coinbase, the Senate draft banned tokenized stocks and stablecoin rewards, forcing the exchange to withdraw its support earlier in the week. 

But other leaders, such as Robinhood’s chief legal officer and former SEC commissioner Dan Gallagher, downplayed the concerns as “overblown.”

“Concerns about tokenization in the Senate bill are overblown, but we’ll work with Congress to address any lingering uncertainty.”

Source: X/Dan Gallagher

It remains to be seen whether a deal will be reached to reignite the bill’s momentum and usher in the tokenization boom. 

Meanwhile, the tokenized stock market has reached $867 million and is inching closer to $1 billion. Notably, the sector saw an 11% surge in Monthly Transfer Volume to $2.3 billion while holders increased by 22% to 159,000. 

This was indicative of accelerated early adoption and appetite for tokenized stocks. 

Source: RWA 

At the chain settlement level, Solana has been leading traction since last July, but BNB Chain flipped it and has maintained the lead over the past two months.

Final Thoughts 

• Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong was bullish on tokenized stocks despite regulatory uncertainty. 
• BNB Chain flipped Solana as the top settlement layer for tokenized stocks and ETFs.