- Fink says BlackRock aims to digitize $4.1T in global assets via tokenized ETFs and platforms.
- Plume and Securitize partnership grows RWA adoption, with 280K users holding $200M on-chain assets.
- Bitwise CIO Hougan cites high demand for stablecoin, tokenized, and DeFi assets, naming Solana a key flow target.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink declared the financial industry has entered the era of “tokenization of all assets” during an Oct. 14 CNBC interview. He outlined strategies to convert traditional financial products into digital formats and highlighted the firm’s growing digital asset holdings. Fink emphasized the need for faster U.S. regulatory clarity to support innovation.
Fink Details BlackRock’s Digital Asset Strategy
Fink explained BlackRock aims to access $4.1 trillion held in digital wallets globally by repotting ETFs and other products into tokenized formats. The company’s iBIT Bitcoin ETF recently surpassed $100 billion in assets, bringing total digital holdings to $107.4 billion.
BlackRock manages $17.25 billion across its digital asset ETFs, using Coinbase Prime for custody operations, which recorded $17.2 billion in withdrawals and $2.5 billion in deposits since March 2024, according to Arkham Intelligence.
The move aligns with broader institutional adoption trends as trading platforms increasingly provide 24/7 access to tokenized securities. Fink highlighted the firm’s tokenized money market fund and expanding digital asset platform as examples of practical implementations.
RWA Growth Accelerates With Institutional Partnerships
Chris Yin, CEO of Plume, noted the real-world asset (RWA) sector doubled last year and may grow 3 to 5 times by 2026. User demographics are shifting, with tenfold growth in holders since early 2025 and projections suggesting a twenty-fivefold increase next year. More than $35 billion in RWAs are now on-chain, with over 539,000 holders.
Plume partnered with Securitize, backed by BlackRock and Morgan Stanley, enabling institutional participants to trade and earn yields on tokenized securities. Hamilton Lane funds will be the first to integrate, expanding access to additional issuers and asset classes in 2026.
Investor Interest Expands Beyond Crypto Natives
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan highlighted strong demand for assets linked to stablecoins, tokenization, and DeFi, naming Solana as a notable challenger asset. He expects it to attract substantial capital flows.
Plume currently has roughly 280,000 users holding $200 million in tokenized assets, representing nearly half of the RWA addressable market. Yin emphasized that growth in user numbers is a better indicator of network health than individual holdings. Regulatory clarity and growing monetary expectations are facilitating wider adoption, moving on-chain assets from experimentation toward broader use.
Lookonchain reports net flows for November 21 show 10 Bitcoin ETFs with 7,341 BTC ($626.29M) outflows, while BlackRock accounts for 4,108 BTC ($350.42M) inflows, holding 779,425 BTC ($66.49B). Nine Ethereum ETFs reported -84,435 ETH (-$233.88M) outflows, with BlackRock managing 3,604,966 ETH ($9.99B).
