The tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is reaching a pivotal moment, and at the heart of this transformation is Union Chain, a groundbreaking collaboration that brings together regulated cryptocurrency exchanges and IXS’s expertise to unlock unprecedented access to RWAs. Julian Kwan, CEO and Co-Founder of IXS, recently shared insights into this industry-defining initiative, emphasizing liquidity, compliance, security, and institutional adoption.
One of the biggest hurdles in the RWA space has been distribution. While there is no shortage of entities eager to tokenize assets, ranging from treasuries and money market funds to real estate and private equity, the challenge has been finding a compliant, scalable distribution network to connect these assets with a massive buy-side audience. Union Chain directly addresses this bottleneck.
By partnering with four regulated centralized exchanges (CEXs) across Asia, Union Chain will tap into a KYC-verified user base of over 20 million investors. This is the largest regulated RWA distribution network in history, providing liquidity and accessibility to an asset class that was previously reserved for institutional or accredited investors.
Cryptocurrency exchanges are not licensed to list securities. Through Union Chain, these exchanges can now offer their users access to fully compliant, tokenized securities, creating new wealth management opportunities on a global scale.
Security and regulation are at the forefront of Union Chain’s approach. Historically, many projects attempted to launch RWAs without securing the necessary licenses, leading to regulatory shutdowns. IXS has spent over five years securing the proper regulatory approvals, ensuring all RWAs on its platform meet strict compliance standards.
Additionally, cybersecurity threats in the blockchain space are at an all-time high. With high-profile hacks such as the recent Bybit breach, IXS has taken significant steps to fortify its platform. The company has increased its cybersecurity framework by fivefold, incorporating state-of-the-art hardware, software, and personnel security protocols to protect both issuers and investors.
Another key element Union Chain solves is liquidity. Historically, RWA markets have suffered from fragmentation and lack of market depth. By bringing together regulated issuers, licensed exchanges, and an integrated fiat-to-stablecoin on-ramp, Union Chain makes investing in RWAs as seamless as trading cryptocurrencies.
Stablecoins play a crucial role in this process. While hundreds of billions of dollars in stablecoins exist today, most holders are unable to earn yield. Tokenized treasuries are changing this landscape by offering stablecoin holders a compliant way to access yield-bearing instruments. This unlocks a massive new use case for stablecoins and further accelerates RWA adoption.
For the first time, an investor in Indonesia, Vietnam, or the Philippines can legally invest in U.S. treasuries with just $1 USDT through IXS’s regulated platform. This marks a transformative shift in global financial accessibility.
The rapid adoption of RWAs is no longer just theoretical, it is happening in real time. Major players like BlackRock, Robinhood, and Coinbase Ventures are actively integrating RWAs into their strategies.
Wall Street has shifted from being anti-RWA to fully embracing it. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, has stated that all assets will eventually be tokenized. This shift is bringing institutional capital into blockchain markets, further legitimizing RWA tokenization.
At the same time, regulatory sentiment in the U.S. is shifting dramatically. The U.S. government has moved from resisting digital assets to recognizing stablecoins as a tool for increasing U.S. dollar dominance. This bipartisan shift will likely accelerate RWA adoption in the world’s largest capital markets.
IXS has spent years laying the groundwork for institutional adoption, and now the full vision is coming to life. With Union Chain, regulated, scalable, and truly global access to real-world asset investments is now a reality.
For investors, this means unprecedented access to diversified, yield-bearing RWAs. For issuers, it represents a compliant pathway to liquidity. And for the industry as a whole, Union Chain sets a new benchmark for how RWAs should be issued, traded, and distributed.
The convergence of blockchain, stablecoins, and institutional adoption is making RWAs the next frontier in global finance. Union Chain and IXS are at the forefront of this revolution, providing the infrastructure needed to scale RWA adoption worldwide.
Watch the full insights straight from Julian: