Standard Chartered Predicts Significant Growth in Tokenized Assets and DeFi Infrastructure Demand

Standard Chartered has projected that the market for tokenized assets could expand rapidly, reaching an estimated $4 trillion by 2028. According to the bank, this anticipated growth may result in a parallel surge in demand for blockchain-native lending and trading systems within the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. The move toward tokenization—whereby real-world or traditional financial assets are converted into digital tokens on a blockchain—could potentially reshape various aspects of financial infrastructure. While these forecasts point to significant potential, industry observers note that actual growth will depend on several factors, including regulatory progress, integration with legacy financial systems, and adoption rates among institutions and individuals. The bank's analysis highlights a trend toward greater interconnection between traditional finance and decentralized platforms, but cautions that the market's evolution remains subject to ongoing technological and regulatory developments.