Edenex
Sign up
Global market and rules in RWA

created by Gpt

Expert POV

FRESH

Which countries lead the market and set the rules in RWA

An overview of RWA and market developments in the US, Hong Kong, UAE, and the EU.

avatar
Serge AbisherHead of special projects by Edenex

As of May 2026, the tokenized real-world asset (RWA) market continues its steady upward trajectory.

Total RWA market (excluding stablecoins): $34B

  • Growth: Up more than 10x since mid-2024 (when the market was below $3B)

  • Tokenized US Treasuries: The largest segment, having reached nearly $16B

  • Standard Chartered forecast: The tokenized asset market could reach $30T by 2034

  • Additional context: $31B in real-world assets are now settled on-chain — a 4x increase from January 2025 to May 2026.

What is RWA?

RWA (Real World Assets) refers to physical or financial assets — such as real estate, government bonds, and export contracts — converted into digital form on a blockchain.

Key Benefits of Tokenization

  • Enhanced liquidity for previously illiquid assets

  • Lower barrier to entry for investors

  • Transaction transparency via smart contracts

  • These characteristics make RWAs attractive to institutional investors and are driving regulatory development across different jurisdictions.

United States: Integration into Existing Infrastructure

The US remains the largest regional RWA market.

The key feature is the absorption of blockchain technology into the existing regulatory framework without creating separate legal regimes.

The SEC treats tokens that entitle holders to profits derived from managerial efforts as securities. This requires:

  • Registration of issuance

  • Disclosure of information

  • Operation through broker-dealers and alternative trading systems (ATS)

Top Funds in the US

  • Circle (USYC)

  • BlackRock (BUIDL)

  • Franklin Templeton (BENJI / FOBXX)

BENJI minimum entry threshold: $20 (accessible to a broad range of investors). Current BENJI yield: Approximately 3.03%

Key development: In December 2025, the SEC approved a three-year DTC pilot for settling tokenized securities.

Hong Kong: A Licensed Bridge for Asian Capital

Hong Kong is building a regulated gateway for Asian capital into the RWA segment.

  • Stablecoin legislation took effect on August 1, 202

  • 100% backing by high-liquidity asset

  • Local incorporation required

  • Minimum capital: HKD 25M

Key Update: The first licenses to issue fiat-backed stablecoins were granted to:

  • HSBC

  • Anchorpoint Financial (a JV of Standard Chartered, Animoca Brands, and HKT)

This marks a breakthrough following the 2025 cooling-off period. The SFC continues to expand its licensing framework for trading and custodial services of digital assets through the ASPIRe roadmap.

UAE: Regulatory Precision and Real Estate

The UAE demonstrates one of the most structured regulatory approaches globally.

  • VARA completed the first phase of its real estate tokenization pilot

  • Phase two launched on February 20, 2026

  • Secondary trading of tokenized real estate shares is now permitted

  • Coverage: 7.8 million tokens

Dubai's long-term goal : By 2033 — digitize 7% of the emirate's real estate market (approximately $16B).

You may be also interested to read

Edenex tokenized assets

Factoring Has Stopped Being a Paper-Based Game?

From tokenized Treasuries to direct invoice financing. Real use cases, active protocols, regulatory moves, and the gap between on-chain efficiency and legal reality.

Кредитование поставок, экспорта и товаров

Supply Chain, Export, and Commodity Financing in a Digital Circuit

In international trade time kills deals. While you wait for financing approval, freight rates rise, counterparties demand upfront payments, and competitors ship their batches.

European Union: Harmonization via MiCA

The EU has implemented enhancements to the MiCA framework (Markets in Crypto-Assets).

Uniform standards for issuance, custody, and investor protection across the bloc

Regulatory predictability → driving institutional adoption

Emerging Markets & Global Trends

  • Search interest in RWA (analyst data): US, Indonesia, Turkey

  • TokeniTokenized commodities: ~5"-" 6B *Gold accounts fo 99.85B

  • Asset-backed credit: Exceeded $3B

  • Tokenized US Treasuries account for approximately 50% of the total market (experts say 47 up to 65%)

The EDENEX Platform

Within the RWA market structure, the Edenex platform occupies the niche of an aggregator for tokenizing export contracts and trade finance flows.

"When you're working with exporters, every deal is a race against the clock.", - says Sergey Abisher, Head of New Ventures, EDENEX

You will be interested

Cargo Insurance as a Necessity: The Illusion of Security and the Real Limits of Carrier Liability

Cargo Insurance 2026: Carrier Limits & Smart Protection

Learn more >
Programmable Compliance: How Smart Contracts Adapt to Changing Regulatory Requirements

Programmable Compliance with Smart Contracts: Real Time KYC, Sanctions Screening & RWA Adaptability

Learn more >
Digital Financial Assets and Real-World Asset Tokenization: A New Vector in Capital Management

Digital Financial Assets & RWA Tokenization: A New Vector for Capital Management | Yields & Risks

Learn more >

Core Essentials about Edenex

A marketplace and system of record that connects capital with documented export shipments. Edenex operates the platform and keeps the record; it holds no client funds and does not itself provide custody, payment, exchange or investment services. Regulated activities are performed by licensed firms under their own permissions.

A subordinated position in the financing of one identified export shipment – goods already sold to a named overseas importer, not a blind pool. You do not own the goods; you hold a position in that deal and are repaid from its proceeds.

Cover, collateral and the payout order are set on the deal before capital moves. Where a policy attaches, the claim runs first; recovery and collection follow; whatever is received is then paid out in the agreed order, senior before junior. Junior is priced for that position. Capital is at risk and no outcome is guaranteed.

Outside the operator, by design. The platform is built so that client funds sit with licensed custodians, escrow agents and authorised payment firms in segregated accounts under their own permissions, while Edenex issues instructions and keeps the record. No part of the design brings client money to Edenex. Some of these arrangements are still being put in place.

No. Edenex does not execute payments. Cross-border and invoice settlement is designed to run through licensed payment providers on their own permissions, inside the deal timeline.

Yes. Exporters go through KYB and document checks; financing is arranged per deal against confirmed orders and invoices. Acceptance is not automatic.

Each role onboards separately: KYB, a permissions check and a role agreement. Lenders fund the senior tranche, insurers underwrite cover where a policy attaches, and payment, logistics and customs partners act inside the deal timeline under their own licences. See the Partners page for models and integration steps, or write to [email protected].