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Tokenized assets surge on major crypto exchanges in 2026
Tokenized assets rose to nearly 1 in 5 listings on major centralized exchanges in the first half of 2026, up from less than 7% in 2025.
Crypto exchanges are increasingly positioning themselves as distribution channels for Wall Street exposure, as trading activity in tokenized stocks and real world asset derivatives expands across major platforms, according to CryptoSlate. CryptoRank data cited by the outlet shows tokenized assets became the most listed category across major centralized exchanges in the first half of 2026, accounting for nearly one in five new listings. That represented a major shift from 2025, when the category was under 7% of listings.
The report points to tokenized equities issued through platforms including xStocks, bStocks and Ondo’s tokenized markets as a key driver of the change. CryptoSlate links the shift in exchange strategy to waning dominance of crypto-native assets such as memecoins and gaming tokens, alongside cooler conventional retail participation in US stocks.
While the tokenized-asset listing data covers crypto exchange markets rather than US retail accounts, CryptoSlate says American retail investors bought a net $13 billion in equities over the past month, the lowest total since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The outlet adds that net purchases fell by $18 billion, or 58%, from early 2026 levels, and buying of individual stocks declined 71% to $3.2 billion.
CryptoSlate also connects the product expansion to rising derivatives activity tied to real world assets. It cites CoinDesk exchange data showing trading volume in real world asset perpetual futures on centralized crypto exchanges rose 57% in June to a record $311 billion, with Binance accounting for $245 billion, or 78.6% of the market. The outlet notes perpetual futures allow speculation on an asset’s price without owning the underlying security and without an expiry date, and says SpaceX’s initial public offering helped boost demand for crypto-based access to traditional financial instruments.