TLDR
- Citi forecasts tokenized assets could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030 under its base scenario.
- Chainlink CCIP is cited as an open-source standard for secure cross-chain financial communication systems.
- Public market securities are expected to lead tokenized asset growth across institutional finance markets.
- Stablecoins may support settlement, collateral movement, and liquidity across tokenized financial market systems.
- Citi’s bull case places tokenized assets at $8.2 trillion by the end of decade.
Citi Institute’s latest tokenization outlook places cross-chain infrastructure at the center of a projected expansion in digital asset markets, as financial institutions examine how tokenized securities, stablecoins, and settlement systems may operate across multiple blockchain networks.
The Tokenization 2030 report forecasts that the global tokenized asset market could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030 under its base case, while a more aggressive scenario places the market at $8.2 trillion, compared with roughly $17 billion today.
Citi’s Tokenized Asset Market Forecast
Citi’s projection is based on growing institutional activity around tokenized real-world assets, with public market securities expected to account for the largest share of future market growth as banks, exchanges, fund managers, and infrastructure providers test blockchain-based issuance and settlement models.
The report identifies stablecoins as another major component of the market because digital cash instruments can support settlement, collateral transfers, liquidity management, and payment functions across tokenized financial products that may operate on both public and private blockchain networks.
Citi’s base case of $5.5 trillion by 2030 reflects a view that tokenization may move beyond pilot programs as financial institutions seek faster settlement, broader automation, and improved asset mobility, while the $8.2 trillion bull case depends on wider adoption across capital markets.
Chainlink CCIP in Cross-Chain Finance
The report names Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, known as CCIP, as a key open-source standard for secure communication between blockchain networks in tokenized finance, where different ledgers may need to exchange data and transfer value under institutional controls.
CCIP is designed to support cross-chain messaging and asset transfers, which can help tokenized instruments operate across separate blockchain environments rather than remain confined to one network, an issue that becomes more relevant as financial institutions use different ledger systems.
Citi’s reference to Chainlink CCIP places interoperability within the wider tokenization discussion, because tokenized securities, stablecoins, and settlement flows require secure connectivity before they can move across public chains, private ledgers, and traditional financial market infrastructure.
Securities, Stablecoins, and Market Infrastructure
Public market securities are viewed as central to Citi’s forecast because listed and widely traded assets offer large addressable markets for tokenized issuance, custody, transfer, and settlement, especially as existing financial institutions continue to evaluate blockchain-based operating models.
Stablecoins are expected to support this development by providing digital settlement instruments that can be used within tokenized markets, although their role will depend on regulation, reserve transparency, market acceptance, and integration with institutional payment and treasury systems.
The report also points to activity involving organizations such as DTCC and major exchanges, as market infrastructure groups assess how settlement flows may move on-chain while maintaining security, compliance, operational resilience, and connectivity across separate financial and blockchain systems.
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