Share this article
Tokenization of Real-World Assets a Key Driver of Digital Asset Adoption: Bank of America
The tokenized gold market reached over $1 billion in value last month, the report said.
By Will Canny
Updated May 9, 2023, 4:12 a.m. Published Apr 14, 2023, 9:10 a.m.
The tokenized gold market surpassed $1 billion in value last month as the tokenization of real-world assets gathers pace, Bank of America (BAC) said in a research report Thursday.
Tokenization is the process of putting ownership of tangible assets, such as precious metals, on the blockchain, and offers the convenience of buying and selling these assets around the clock because the transactions do not involve traditional brokers.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
Bank of America sees the tokenization of real-world assets, such as commodities, currencies and equities, as a “key driver of digital asset adoption.”
Before the advent of tokenized gold, investors seeking exposure to the gold market could buy exchange-traded-funds (ETF) and futures, or those looking for exposure to physical gold could buy it through dealers, “but these investment vehicles come with drawbacks related to cost and/or liquidity,” the report said.
“Tokenized gold provides exposure to physical gold, 24/7 real-time settlement, no management fees and no storage or insurance costs.” The low minimum investment increases accessibility and “fractionalization enables the transfer of physical gold ownership and value that was not previously possible,” analysts Alkesh Shah and Andrew Moss wrote.
Tokenizing the precious metal could increase liquidity and enable investors to rebalance portfolios quickly and efficiently, the note said.
Tokenization of the gold supply chain could benefit ESG-focused investors that need proof that gold came from a specific mine or from a specific region, the report added.
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
Stablecoin Adoption Is ‘Exploding' — Here's Why Wall Street Is Going All-In
Alchemy co-founder and president Joe Lau said stablecoin adoption is exploding as banks, fintechs and payment platforms push beyond the USDT/USDC exchange era.
What to know:
- Stablecoin usage is quickly broadening from crypto-native exchanges into payments, payroll and treasury as companies chase 24/7, digital-native settlement, according to Alchemy Co-founder and President Joe Lau.
- Banks are pushing tokenized deposits as a regulated, bank-native alternative that delivers stablecoin-like benefits for institutional clients.
- The endgame is a two-track system — stablecoins for open, two-party settlement; deposit tokens for bank ecosystems, until scale forces convergence and competition, Lau said.
Top Stories
