This article will provide you with a holistic understanding of RWAs, the classification of RWA projects in Web3, the benefits of RWAs for the Web3 ecosystem, and a comprehensive list of current RWA projects. Read on to equip yourself with the essential knowledge for a potentially transformative trend.
What are Real World Assets (RWAs) in Web3?
Real-world assets (RWAs) are intangible and tangible assets that exist in the physical world, such as real estate, commodities, and financial securities. In the context of Web3, RWAs can be tokenized and brought on-chain using blockchain technology and smart contracts. This process, known as RWA tokenization, offers a number of benefits, including increased liquidity, transparency, security, and availability.
RWA Protocols: Connecting TradFi and DeFi
RWA protocols act as bridges between traditional financial markets (TradFi) and physical assets with DeFi, opening up new use cases and opportunities for both worlds. For example, tokenized RWAs can be used to create new financial products and services, such as decentralized lending and borrowing platforms, or RWA-backed stablecoins.
RWA Protocols by Category
There is a wide range of RWA protocols available, each offering its own unique features and use cases. Some of the most common categories include:
- Tokenized Debt Securities & Equity: This category includes protocols that tokenize traditional financial assets such as bonds, loans, and stocks. This makes it possible to trade and invest in these assets on a decentralized basis, often with lower fees and greater transparency than traditional markets.
- RWA Lending: Real-world asset (RWA) lending protocols allow investors to lend their capital, such as stablecoins or Ether, and institutions to borrow assets using real-world assets as collateral or not. This can be a mutually beneficial arrangement, as it allows borrowers to access liquidity without having to sell their assets and lenders to generate yield on their investments.
- RWA-backed Stablecoins: This category includes protocols that issue stablecoins that are supported by real-world assets (RWAs). RWAs can include fiat currencies, bonds, commodities, or real estate. By pegging their value to RWAs, RWA-backed stablecoins offer greater stability than other types of stablecoins, which may be more susceptible to market volatility.
- Tokenized Commodities: Commodity tokenization protocols enable users to expose real-world commodities such as gold, silver, and oil that have been tokenized on the blockchain. This makes it possible to trade and invest in these commodities in a more fractionalized and accessible way.
- Carbon Tokenization and ESG: Carbon tokenization protocols enable users to access carbon credits, which are tradable permits that represent a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This can help to create a more efficient and transparent market for carbon credits, and make it easier for companies and individuals to offset their carbon footprint.
The Benefits of RWA Tokenization for Web3
Overall, RWAs offer a number of potential benefits for Web3, including:
Increased liquidity: RWA tokenization can help to increase the liquidity of real-world assets by making them more accessible to investors of all sizes.
Increased transparency: RWA tokenization can help to increase the transparency of real-world asset markets by providing investors with access to real-time data and information.
Increased security: RWA tokenization can help to increase the security of real-world asset transactions by using cryptography and blockchain technology to prevent fraud and theft.
Reduced costs: RWA tokenization can help to reduce the costs associated with real-world asset transactions by eliminating the need for intermediaries such as banks and brokers.
RWA Protocols – Updated October
