Standard Chartered Forecasts $2.7 Trillion Surge in DeFi-Active Tokenized Assets by 2030
The banking giant predicts a 37-fold increase in tokenized assets utilized within decentralized protocols as institutional absorption grows.
Standard Chartered projects that tokenized assets actively utilized within decentralized finance (DeFi) will grow 37-fold to reach $2.7 trillion by 2030. This forecast suggests a fundamental shift in how traditional financial institutions view onchain liquidity and the utility of digital assets.
According to Geoff Kendrick, head of digital assets research at Standard Chartered, the bank expects the share of tokenized value used in DeFi to rise to 30% by 2030, a significant jump from the current estimated rate of approximately 3.5%. Current usage rates remain fragmented, with stablecoins estimated at 3% and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) at 10% within DeFi protocols. This growth thesis aligns with the bank's previous projection that non-stablecoin tokenized RWAs alone could grow to $2 trillion by the end of 2028.
The Shift Toward Asset Absorption
This forecast arrives as institutional interest shifts from the mere issuance of tokens to "absorption," or the actual utility and liquidity of those assets within decentralized protocols. While many firms track the total value of tokens created, Standard Chartered's research emphasizes the importance of assets being actively used for lending and trading onchain. In this framework, DeFi is viewed not as a separate ecosystem, but as the primary distribution channel for both crypto-native assets and tokenized RWAs.
Implications for Market Infrastructure
If these projections materialize, it signals that traditional finance (TradFi) increasingly views DeFi as the essential infrastructure for the next generation of financial assets rather than a competitor. The bank has specifically singled out Uniswap as a potential hub for these tokenized markets, citing the protocol's existing scale and branding as key advantages for absorbing institutional volume. Kendrick noted that DeFi could serve as the next major engine for "generational wealth" in digital assets.
Remaining Hurdles
Despite the optimistic outlook, the path to $2.7 trillion depends on solving the industry's liquidity fragmentation. Currently, assets issued across different blockchain networks often remain siloed, which could hinder the seamless movement of capital required for such massive growth. Market observers will be watching whether cross-chain interoperability evolves quickly enough to support the bank's projected absorption rates over the next six years.