Tokenized assets climb to $23.6B as investors seek always-on markets

The market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) on public blockchains has surged 66% in 2026, reaching a total value of $23.6 billion as of mid-March. This growth is being driven by institutional demand for "always-on" markets that eliminate the 4:00 PM closing times and multi-day settlement delays of traditional finance. Tokenized U.S. Treasuries lead the sector with over $11 billion in market cap, followed by significant growth in tokenized gold, commodities, and equities.