Australia's cryptocurrency exchange BTC Markets has submitted an application to the country's securities regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), aiming to obtain a new type of market license to legally conduct regulated trading of Real World Assets (RWA) tokenization. The company's CEO, Lukas Dobens, stated that their vision is to build a compliant infrastructure that allows equities, bonds, and various RWAs to be traded alongside crypto assets, achieving 24/7 continuous operation and near real-time settlement.
Currently, the total value of on-chain tokenized assets globally is approximately $26.5 billion, still in the early validation stage. Industry predictions suggest that by 2030, this market size could reach $20 trillion, with some institutions like Boston Consulting Group estimating a potential scale of up to $16 trillion. As major financial institutions such as BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan transition from pilot projects to formal product launches, a compliant and actionable RWA market is no longer a theoretical concept but is rapidly taking shape.
The licensing mechanism being promoted in Australia marks a key step for the industry from early blockchain experiments to institutionalized operations. It involves not only asset issuance and trading but also encompasses the comprehensive construction of custody security, investor protection, and regulatory compliance systems. If a credible RWA access channel is successfully established, Australia could become the preferred hub for global capital entering traditional asset tokenization fields such as private equity, infrastructure projects, and fixed-income instruments.
Currently, Ethereum remains the primary underlying platform for RWA tokenization, with its smart contract capabilities supporting the liquidity and programmability of the vast majority of on-chain assets. This technological foundation, combined with an increasingly clear regulatory framework, is driving the accelerated integration of the traditional financial system with the blockchain ecosystem. Experts point out that as infrastructure continues to improve, Australia is expected to play a significant role in the construction of the next generation of financial markets.