When Bitcoin appeared at the end of the first decade of this century, it seemed to announce just a new way to make digital payments, outside the traditional system. But anyone who thinks that the revolution of decentralized finance (DeFi) is limited to the crypto world is very mistaken.
In 2025, we are seeing an increasingly strong movement of integration between real-world assets—such as real estate, stocks, and commodities—and the blockchain ecosystem through tokenization.
This fusion gives rise to what are called Real World Assets (RWAs) within DeFi: traditionally assets represented digitally, which can be fractionalized, automated, and traded globally.
What’s the result? More accessibility, liquidity, and efficiency for both investors and issuers.
What are tokenized real-world assets?
Tokenizing an asset means converting its value or property rights into a digital token registered on the blockchain. This token comes to represent the original asset—whether it's an apartment, a ton of soybeans, or a stock—and can be transferred, divided, or traded with the same ease as a cryptocurrency.
Although the concept is not new, it is beginning to scale within the DeFi ecosystem thanks to the emergence of specialized platforms, greater regulatory clarity, and growing institutional interest. The more possibilities expand in this field, the more initiatives multiply—a dynamic that is accelerating its expansion.
How does this connect with DeFi?
DeFi was born with the goal of decentralizing financial services such as lending, investing, and payments. Now, by integrating RWAs, it expands its reach beyond the digital universe, incorporating tangible assets from the traditional economy.
With RWAs, it is now possible to use properties as collateral for crypto loans, invest in U.S. Treasury bonds using stablecoins, or trade tokenized stocks 24/7 without relying on a traditional exchange.
This opens access to previously restricted markets and allows real supply and demand to determine prices—not an intermediary figure like a broker or a centralized institution. In countries like Colombia, Mexico, or Argentina, where access to the traditional financial system still presents barriers, these solutions can have a significant impact on the democratization of capital.
Platforms already operating with RWAs
Several projects are leading the adoption of tokenized assets in the DeFi ecosystem. Some notable examples include:
Centrifuge: connects assets like invoices and real estate with DeFi protocols, allowing companies to tokenize their receivables and obtain liquidity directly.
Maple Finance: offers on-chain credit for institutions, with funds partially backed by RWAs.
Ondo Finance: developed tokenized products linked to U.S. Treasury bonds, providing yields with lower volatility to crypto investors.
RealT: allows investment in tokenized real estate in the U.S., collecting rents in stablecoins with much more liquidity than the traditional real estate market.
Advantages for investors
The tokenization of RWAs within DeFi is revolutionizing how access to traditional assets is obtained. Among its main benefits are:
Global access: anyone with a wallet can access markets that were previously reserved for large investors or financial institutions.
Liquidity: assets like real estate, historically illiquid, can be fractionalized and traded in real time.
Reduced costs: the elimination of intermediaries decreases banking fees, commissions, and notarial procedures.
Transparency and automation: smart contracts ensure clear rules, automatic executions, and complete traceability of transactions.
Challenges that still need to be overcome
Despite its potential, the integration of RWAs with DeFi still faces several challenges:
Regulation: many countries in Latin America still do not have clear legal frameworks regarding the issuance and trading of these assets, which may limit their institutional adoption.
Trust in issuers: although the token is on the blockchain, the physical asset still exists in the real world, requiring solid custody systems and reliable audits.
Crypto volatility: extreme movements in the crypto market can affect platforms operating with RWAs.
Legal recognition: it is not always easy to ensure that the token legally represents the physical asset, requiring regulatory adaptations and recognition in different jurisdictions.
These challenges, although complex, are surmountable. And their solution is key for the RWA market to reach truly global scale.
Why is this a new frontier?
Combining the dynamism of DeFi with the stability of traditional assets represents a crucial step towards the maturity of the crypto sector. It allows capital to flow more freely between on-chain and off-chain worlds, attracting institutional capital and expanding the real use cases of blockchain.
Just like the spot cryptocurrency ETFs such as Bitcoin or Ethereum—growing in popularity in countries like Brazil or the United States—RWAs show that interest in digital solutions is also growing in Latin America.
More than a trend, this convergence has the power to transform the global financial system, making it more transparent, efficient, and inclusive.
DeFi steps out of the digital world and conquers the real world
In its early years, DeFi was seen as an exclusive space for crypto natives. But that is changing rapidly. The tokenization of real assets is becoming the engine that drives the transition towards an open, global, and inclusive financial infrastructure.
In the coming years, we will see an explosion of innovations centered around RWAs, with more accessible financial products, liquidity for stagnant sectors, and new investment opportunities.
And if you still haven't found an RWA out there, don't worry: when you do, you'll surely remember this article.
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