NASDAQ Paves Way for Tokenized Stocks, Eyeing a Potential Boost for XRP
NASDAQ has filed a groundbreaking proposal with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to facilitate the listing and trading of tokenized stocks, marking a significant step towards integrating blockchain technology into mainstream finance. This move is poised to reshape the financial landscape, with market experts predicting a substantial benefit for cryptocurrency assets like XRP due to its unique capabilities.
NASDAQ Embraces Tokenized Stocks
The proposed rule change by NASDAQ would allow investors to trade tokenized securities on its platform. These digital assets could exist and be traded in both their traditional form and as blockchain-based tokens, offering a dual-trading mechanism. Crucially, the proposal mandates that tokenized securities be traded in the same order book and with the same execution priority as their traditional counterparts. This initiative opens doors for increased adoption of underlying blockchain networks like Ethereum, Solana, and the XRP Ledger (XRPL), as more companies are expected to tokenize their shares. Notably, Galaxy Digital recently became the first Nasdaq-listed company to tokenize its common stock on the Solana blockchain, underscoring the growing interest in this innovative financial model. Experts anticipate that various blockchain platforms will vie for market share in this burgeoning sector. While Ethereum is often cited as a leading candidate due to its robust ecosystem, Solana and the XRP Ledger stand out for their superior speed and cost-efficiency. Solana's recent "Alpenglow" upgrade aims to further reduce transaction finality, while XRPL has implemented new compliance amendments to attract institutional adoption. These developments position these networks favorably for companies looking to leverage blockchain for their stock offerings.
XRP: The Bridge for Trillions in Tokenized Assets?
The potential for XRP in this new era of tokenized stocks is particularly compelling. Versan Aljarrah, founder of Black Swan Capitalist, has boldly predicted that all tokenized assets will eventually "route through XRP" to settle, positioning it as the indispensable "bridge currency" for trillions in on-chain value. This vision aligns with Ripple's own projections, which foresee 10% of global assets being tokenized by 2030. Crypto analyst Costa further amplified these expectations, suggesting that the XRP price could skyrocket to $473.214 if just 10% of global assets are tokenized on the XRP Ledger. This bullish outlook is partly fueled by real-world integrations, such as Ondo Finance's tokenized U.S. Treasuries fund already operating on the XRPL. Despite these promising long-term prospects, XRP's price recently saw a slight dip, currently trading around $2.95 at the time of writing, according to CoinMarketCap data.
