BlackRock CEO: Tokenization to Trigger Finance’s Biggest Overhaul Since the 1970s — How?

BlackRock executives are warning that the global financial system could be facing its most profound transformation since the introduction of electronic messaging in the 1970s, driven by blockchain-based tokenization.

In a recent column for The Economist, CEO Larry Fink and COO Rob Goldstein called tokenization the “next major evolution in market infrastructure.”

They emphasized its potential to move assets more quickly and securely than legacy financial systems, showing a shift that could reshape how markets operate worldwide.

Tokenization Offers Efficiency, But Experts Warn of Market Fragility

Tokenization, which records ownership of assets on digital ledgers, allows stocks, bonds, real estate, and other holdings to exist as verifiable digital records that can be traded and settled without traditional intermediaries.

The approach aligns with BlackRock’s long-standing commitment to digital markets, dating back to Fink’s 2022 remarks that the next generation of securities will be tokenized.

Fink and Goldstein acknowledged that tokenization was initially overshadowed by the speculative crypto boom.

Yet, beneath the noise, the technology has the potential to expand investable assets and enable near-instant settlement, reducing reliance on manual processes and bespoke recordkeeping that have persisted for decades.

The executives cautioned, however, that adoption will be gradual, likening the process to a “bridge being built from both sides of a river,” connecting traditional financial institutions with digital-first innovators.

While tokenization promises efficiency and broader market access, it also carries risks that could mirror historical financial shocks.

Analysts point to several mechanisms that could amplify losses.

Increased systemic interconnectedness could make widely shared ledgers a single point of failure, while automated trading on programmable ledgers could accelerate market shocks, potentially triggering rapid “flash crashes.”

Legal ambiguities surrounding ownership rights and settlement finality, coupled with cybersecurity vulnerabilities, could exacerbate operational risks.

Additionally, fragmented markets, high leverage, and concentration of infrastructure among a few dominant players may increase systemic fragility.

Experts warn that a large-scale operational failure or confidence crisis could produce losses reminiscent of the post-Bretton Woods era in the early 1970s.

Tokenized Markets Grow Fast; EU Warns Oversight Crucial for Stability

European regulators are increasingly focused on the growth of tokenized financial assets, balancing innovation with oversight.

Natasha Cazenave, Executive Director of ESMA, outlined the potential and risks of wrapping conventional instruments in digital layers.

Once a niche area, tokenized assets now represent a global market of roughly $600 billion, with the issuance of tokenized fixed-income instruments exceeding €3 billion in 2024.

The Skynet RWA Security Report projects that tokenized real-world assets could reach $16 trillion by 2030, with Europe positioned to lead.

Pilot projects by Société Générale, Santander, the European Investment Bank, and Germany’s Ministry of Finance demonstrate growing interest, though the market remains fragmented.

Cazenave emphasized that regulatory alignment is critical to ensure investor protections and prevent instability.

Globally, tokenization is reshaping access to private markets. Institutional investors expect tokenized instruments to make up 10–24% of portfolios by 2030.

Currently, digital assets average 7% of institutional holdings, expected to rise to 16% within three years, driven by tokenized equities, fixed income, and digital cash, according to State Street research.

Challenges remain on the issuer side. Infrastructure for identity verification, compliance, and cap-table management lags behind front-end trading platforms, slowing onboarding, complicating reconciliation, and limiting secondary market liquidity.

Authorities worldwide are taking note. In November, the IMF highlighted tokenization’s potential to accelerate transactions and reduce costs, while cautioning that automated markets could amplify volatility and systemic risks.

Notably, in the UK, a “digital markets champion” and the Dematerialisation Market Action Taskforce are overseeing the issuance of digital gilts on distributed ledgers.

Data from RWA(.)xyz shows the distributed asset market currently represents $18.41 billion, with $391.55 billion in represented asset value across more than 555,000 asset holders.