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Tokenized Assets Take the Lead on Crypto Exchanges

On major centralized exchanges, demand for tokenized real-world assets is growing, while meme coins and GameFi are losing ground. BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and JPMorgan are also active in this trend.

By Zenz van der Wielen
• 2 min read
Tokenized Assets Take the Lead on Crypto Exchanges

Key Takeaways

  • Tokenized assets accounted for nearly 19% of all new listings on major centralized exchanges in H1 2026.
  • Meme coin listings fell for six straight quarters and came in at 41 in Q2 2026.
  • Exchanges are getting more selective and giving more room to tokens with clear use cases and real assets.

Tokenized assets emerged as the top listing category on major centralized exchanges in the first half of 2026. CryptoRank said that almost one in five new listings belonged to that group, underscoring a shift away from pure speculation and toward tokens backed by real-world assets.

Tokenized Assets Are Gaining Ground

CryptoRank counted 10,110 listings and 4,005 delistings across 10 major exchanges. Since centralized platforms still account for more than 88% of crypto trading volume, the way they handle listings remains a key signal for the wider market.

What makes the move more notable is how quickly the category has grown. Tokenized assets made up less than 7% of new listings in 2025, but that share rose to nearly 19% in H1 2026. The increase was largely driven by issuers such as xStocks, bStocks, and Ondo. It also reflects a broader push to bring traditional financial products onto public blockchains in tokenized form. The trend is already showing up on trading venues as well: tokenized stocks attracted more than $100 million (€87.5 million) in assets over a short period.

Large financial firms are taking part too. BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and JPMorgan have all been active in tokenizing real-world assets lately, including U.S. Treasury bonds and private equity funds.

Meme Coins Are Fading From View

The speculative side of the market is moving in the opposite direction. Meme coin listings have now declined for six straight quarters. Exchanges listed 196 meme coins in Q4 2024, but that number dropped to just 41 in Q2 2026, a 79% decline and the lowest reading since Q3 2023.

GameFi has followed a similar path. New listings in that category fell 84% from their Q2 2024 peak to 15 in Q2 2026. Delistings tell the same story: Gate removed 573 tokens in H1 2026, which was nearly 60% of the total, while OKX did not delist any tokens during the same period.

Taken together, the numbers suggest exchanges are becoming more selective and making more room for projects with clear utility instead of short-lived hype. Still, it is not yet clear whether tokenized assets can maintain enough liquidity, since many of these RWAs still have relatively low trading volume and a small investor base.

Why This Matters

For European crypto readers, the bigger takeaway is that exchanges are increasingly shaping their product mix around assets that look closer to traditional finance. That could matter for how crypto, stocks, and other investment products end up sharing the same trading rails. At the same time, the thin liquidity in many tokenized RWAs shows that the market still needs more infrastructure and clearer regulation before the category can fully mature.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. The information provided may be incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated and should not be relied upon as such. Nothing on this website should be considered a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any cryptocurrency. Investing in crypto-assets involves risk of loss.