Fidelity and UBS executives say institutional move on-chain has passed the point of no return

News Editor

2026-10-08 13:50:56

Institutional adoption of tokenized assets is no longer a tentative experiment, according to executives from Fidelity Investments and UBS speaking at the Longitude conference in Singapore, as cited by Cointelegraph. Matthew Horne, head of digital asset strategy at Fidelity Investments, said the past 18 months have shown a real institutional push toward an on-chain future for financial assets and that the shift has effectively become irreversible. He said tokenization gives financial institutions structural advantages and opens new markets for asset managers, with U.S. firms facing especially strong incentives to bring assets on-chain. UBS executive Ka Yan Chan said core portfolio assets such as government bonds and equities could bring billions of dollars onto blockchain rails. In her view, the jump from billions to trillions will depend on market infrastructure operators such as the Federal Reserve or DTCC moving the custody layer onto tokenized platforms first, allowing the rest of the industry to build distribution on top. The report also cited a 41% rise in tokenized asset demand over the past 30 days, more than 493,000 holders, over $1.2 billion moved on-chain in the same period, and a combined stablecoin and tokenized asset market above $323 billion.

Institutional capital has already set financial assets on an on-chain path with no real way back, Matthew Horne, head of digital asset strategy at Fidelity Investments, said during a panel at the Longitude conference in Singapore, according to Cointelegraph.

Horne said the past 18 months have brought a genuine institutional push toward an on-chain future for assets. He added that tokenization gives financial institutions structural advantages and helps asset managers reach new markets. U.S. asset managers, he said, have particularly strong incentives to move assets onto blockchain infrastructure.

UBS points to core portfolio assets as the next driver

Ka Yan Chan, head of digital asset business development at UBS, said government bonds and equities, both central to portfolio construction, could bring billions of dollars on-chain.

She said the move from billions to trillions would likely require market infrastructure participants such as the Federal Reserve or the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, or DTCC, to shift the custody layer into a tokenized platform first. Industry participants could then build distribution layers on top of that base.

Demand and holder count rose over the past 30 days

Data cited in the report showed tokenized asset demand rose 41% over the past 30 days, while the number of holders climbed past 493,000.

Over the same period, more than $1.2 billion moved on-chain. The combined total of stablecoins and tokenized assets now exceeds $323 billion.

SEC actions and a longer-term forecast

The report also referenced a December 2025 no-action letter from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, to a DTCC subsidiary, allowing it to offer new tokenized securities market services.

In September, the SEC also approved temporary exemptive relief that allows tokenized U.S. stocks to trade in limited form on certain on-chain venues.

Separately, Standard Chartered head of digital assets research Geoff Kendrick said in August that tokenized real-world assets could reach $4 trillion by the end of 2028.

This article was originally published by Bit.Fan. For more cryptocurrency news and market insights, visit www.bit.fan.

200

Disclaimer:

The market information, project data, and third-party content displayed on this platform are for industry information sharing only and do not constitute any form of investment advice or return commitment.

Cryptocurrency trading carries high risks. Users should fully assess their risk tolerance and make independent decisions. All profits, losses, and legal responsibilities are borne by the users themselves.