For years, the case for tokenizing real-world assets has been compelling on paper. Faster settlement, broader investor access, improved collateral mobility, more efficient capital markets. The technology has been ready for longer than the rules have, and that gap between capability and regulatory certainty has kept many institutions in a holding pattern, interested but not yet committed.
That is beginning to change. A series of developments in early 2026, including the SEC’s January 28 statement, the March 17 joint guidance from the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the broader Project Crypto initiative, have given the market its clearest regulatory…