SAN FRANCISCO — Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said 4 billion people worldwide cannot access U.S. stocks, framing tokenization as the direct solution to a global capital markets access problem.
The figure represents a large portion of the global population blocked from traditional equity markets by geographic barriers, high minimum investments and complex regulatory hurdles. The current financial system requires substantial capital and specific jurisdictional residency, locking out potential investors.
Tokenization addresses this by digitizing real-world assets into blockchain tokens, enabling fractional ownership. Individuals can invest small amounts in assets like U.S. equities, typically starting with a few dollars. Tokenized securities can trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week on global blockchains, removing traditional market-hours restrictions and brokerage intermediaries and cutting transaction costs.
The market for tokenized real-world assets continues to grow, with total value locked in RWA protocols exceeding $8 billion. Protocols such as Centrifuge and Ondo Finance already facilitate billions in tokenized credit and U.S. Treasuries, showing strong demand from institutional and retail participants alike. Expanding this framework to global equities could unlock trillions in capital from previously unserved investors.
This push aligns with broader institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure. Major financial institutions are exploring private blockchain solutions for asset management and interbank settlements, with projects like JPMorgan's Onyx platform processing significant volumes. Integrating tokenized assets into regulated crypto exchanges like Coinbase could bridge traditional finance and global retail investors.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits at 28, signaling fear across the digital asset market. Despite that sentiment, tokenization infrastructure continues to develop, with builders focused on long-term utility and expanding financial access rather than short-term price action.
