While much of crypto chases volatility, the most capital-efficient allocations of 2025 are hiding in plain sight: looping. These structured strategies quietly recycle billions through the same assets, transforming modest yield spreads into outsized, risk-adjusted returns. In essence, they are the on-chain counterpart to TradFi’s repo and carry trades, now enhanced by tokenized real-world assets. DeFi looping is a yield amplification mechanism built on correlated collateral and debt. The essence of looping is yield-bearing assets — tokens that grow in value over time. Institutions are bringing RWAs on-chain partly because looping can amplify returns with transparent, modelable risks and auditable parameters. Likely growth lanes include: Private credit vehicles, e.g., Hamilton Lane’s SCOPE, made available via Securitize with daily on-chain NAV delivered by RedStone, and on-demand redemptions, positioned for steady monthly yield per issuer materials. Cash-and-carry strategies like Spiko C&C, capturing predictable term premia. Reinsurance-linked securities, like MembersCap MCM Fund I, historically have been associated with low default rates and consistent payouts. Looping enables more efficient use of capital by turning yield-generating positions into repeatable, collateralizable instruments. The risk–return profile is similar to traditional fixed-income and money market desks, but here it is delivered with 24/7 liquidity, transparent collateralization metrics and automated position management. As tokenized RWAs scale, looping is poised to become a foundational building block in on-chain portfolio construction, further narrowing the gap between traditional and decentralized finance.
Real‑time valuation meets 24/7 liquidity as Aave’s Horizon turns $25B of tokenized assets into productive collateral on Ethereum using Chainlink SmartData and permissionless lender pools
Aave’s Horizon Platform is a significant advancement in the integration of traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi). It allows institutional investors to borrow stablecoins against tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), addressing the gap in DeFi’s lack of institutional-grade compliance and liquidity. Horizon’s institutional-grade design integrates Chainlink’s SmartData to provide real-time asset valuation and collateral verification, ensuring transparency and trust. This aligns with regulatory frameworks and leverages blockchain’s efficiency, making DeFi accessible to institutional players. The market potential for tokenized RWAs is significant, with projections suggesting it could reach $10 trillion by 2030. Platforms like Horizon accelerate this growth by enabling institutions to deploy capital more efficiently. Regulatory momentum, such as the U.S. transition to T+1 settlement in 2024 and initiatives like the SEC’s Project Crypto, further amplifies Horizon’s impact. Critics like Circle, VanEck, and Chainlink underscore Horizon’s institutional credibility, validating the platform’s infrastructure and ensuring dynamic collateral values. Horizon’s implications for capital markets are profound, as it could democratize access to liquidity while preserving regulatory compliance. Institutions gain 24/7 borrowing capabilities, while DeFi participants earn yields on stablecoins backed by real-world collateral. Aave’s Horizon Platform is a structural catalyst for the tokenization of global finance, unlocking trillions in value while setting new standards for transparency and efficiency.
KuCoin’s $ART token brings AI‑driven luxury RWA valuation and staking governance to tokenized art, watches, wine and cars
KuCoin is set to introduce the $ART token, native to LiveArt, on September 9, 2025, on the BASE-ERC20 network. This token will enable the tokenization of $10 trillion in luxury assets using AI, aiming to make high-valued collectibles accessible to a broader audience. The tokenization market is estimated to be worth $16 billion by 2030, indicating significant growth potential. LiveArt’s integration of AI and blockchain technology addresses traditional real-world asset (RWA) market challenges, such as subjective valuation and transparency. Machine learning models will help in real-time asset valuation and market trend prediction, providing fair and accurate pricing. $ART staking will enable token holders to vote on assets curation and protocol upgrades, fostering a more democratic and decentralized governance structure. The token’s listing on BASE-ERC20 will allow for quick and efficient transactions, enhancing its utility and appeal to investors. However, investors should remain cautious due to potential initial price booms and regulatory oversight.
AGII expands predictive AI frameworks to make smart contracts self‑scaling; forecasting bottlenecks and reallocating resources for lower latency and higher throughput across Web3
AGII announced the expansion of its predictive AI frameworks, designed to elevate the scalability and efficiency of smart contracts across decentralized systems. This development solidifies AGII’s leadership in adaptive Web3 infrastructure by enabling contracts to intelligently adjust to changing data and workload demands in real time. The upgraded predictive engine leverages AGII’s deep learning logic and automation layers to optimize how smart contracts operate across networks, regardless of complexity or user volume. By forecasting operational bottlenecks and automating resource distribution, AGII empowers developers to deploy contracts that can grow with user needs—without compromising performance. This strategic move positions AGII to support Web3 applications requiring adaptive execution, predictive task management, and real-time response, especially across DeFi, AI-data pipelines, and cross-chain protocols. The update ensures more reliable outcomes, reduced latency, and improved contract throughput under dynamic load conditions.
MultiBank.io to leverage Fireblocks’ custody capabilities and Mavryk’s blockchain infrastructure to launch platform for tokenizing RWAs into fractional digital tokens and offer access to 20,000+ stocks and 55 currency pairs
MultiBank.io has partnered with Fireblocks and Mavryk Network to launch a $10 billion real estate tokenization platform. The platform aims to tokenize real-world assets (RWAs) into fractional digital tokens, enabling broader access to high-value real estate investments while maintaining institutional-grade security and compliance. The platform’s first phase leverages a prior $3 billion collaboration with MAG Lifestyle Development. Fireblocks’ custody and tokenization capabilities are combined with Mavryk’s blockchain infrastructure, ensuring secure minting, custody, and trading of digital assets. MultiBank Group, with over 17 global regulatory licenses and 2 million clients, oversees governance and secondary market liquidity. The platform integrates into a four-part ecosystem bridging traditional finance and crypto-native markets. Key components include: A TradFi platform offering access to 20,000+ stocks and 55 currency pairs; An institutional ECN projected to handle $460 billion in daily volume by 2031, valued at $23.7 billion by Arthur D. Little; A regulated crypto exchange with a 10/10 security score from Hacken and licenses from UAE’s VARA and Australia’s AUSTRAC; A marketplace for tokenized assets, democratizing access to premium real estate.
Visa has been testing stablecoins on Visa Direct, its instant payments scheme and remittance platform, and specifically looking at cross-border transactions where the settlement still has a delay
Visa CEO Ryan McInerney expanded upon the card network’s stablecoin strategy during the company’s quarterly earnings call with investors Tuesday night, offering a more detailed look at how it’s thinking about deploying the digital assets. Visa has been testing stablecoins on Visa Direct, its instant payments scheme and remittance platform, and specifically looking at cross-border transactions where the settlement still has a delay. Sending money from a Visa card to a bank account in an emerging market is one example of where the transaction may not be instant because of local banking infrastructure. “We’ve been testing a series of corridors and putting stablecoins to work directly versus the fiat currency money movement options that we’re able to deliver… and at this point, we’ve got a pretty good sense on each corridor we can provide faster money movement, cheaper money movement,” McInerney said. Visa in March laid out its broad view on stablecoins, saying that key use cases were in emerging markets, where local fiat currency was volatile or customers didn’t have easy or affordable access to U.S. dollars, and in cross-border payments.
McInerney said that Visa was piloting with stablecoin payments companies specializing in emerging markets, such as stablecoin infrastructure company Yellow Card in sub-Saharan Africa, as it builds out its stablecoin treasury stack for settlement and money movement. To that end Visa has been looking to expand the reach of its multi- chain stablecoin settlement capabilities on its network
and added a Euro-backed stablecoin, EURC and USDG and PYUSD. “We are also adding support for two additional blockchains, Stellar and Avalanche, enabling us to support four stablecoins running on four unique blockchains representing two currencies that we can then accept and convert to over 25 traditional fiat currencies across the world,” McInerney said. Visa is also helping banks issue their own stablecoins and develop programmable money through its Tokenized Asset Platform, and sees an opportunity for stablecoin adoption to boost the digitization of consumer, small business and commercial payments in those emerging markets. “So to the extent that stablecoins get adopted in a broad-based way by both consumers and businesses, and assuming that we are able to continue to have success with our playbook of making Visa cards the preferred way for people who have stablecoins in those markets to pay for things, I think that could accelerate our progress,” McInerney said.
Coinbase’s tool to enable developers to create scalable, secure, and user-friendly crypto wallets and integrate them within their apps in under 200 milliseconds; offers compatibility across active blockchain ecosystems and 4.1% annual reward on idle USDC
Coinbase is introducing CDP Embedded Wallets, a new infrastructure tool designed to make it easier for developers to create scalable, secure, and user-friendly crypto wallets within their applications. These wallets can be integrated into apps in under 200 milliseconds and are built to support Ethereum-compatible chains and Solana, offering compatibility across active blockchain ecosystems. Coinbase also offers a passive income opportunity for wallet users, with any idle USD Coin (USDC) held in these wallets automatically earning a 4.1% annual reward. The wallets are Web2-style accessible, allowing users to log in using familiar methods like email, SMS, or OAuth. They are fully non-custodial, ensuring users maintain control of their funds. Developers can access a unified API for essential blockchain actions and set custom security policies for wallet usage. The new product is expected to be widely adopted in fintech platforms, decentralized finance protocols, B2B payment systems, and blockchain-based games. Coinbase is offering a promotional incentive for Onramp customers during its beta phase, offering zero fees through September 30, 2025. This move aims to bridge the gap between Web2 usability and Web3 decentralization, potentially boosting developer activity and end-user engagement.
Tyr Capital, as a BitVM node operator, collaborates with BOB and bitvm/acc to drive institutional DeFi adoption by aligning smart contract tech with operational business needs on Bitcoin
Tyr Capital announced its strategic partnership with BOB and the bitvm/acc working group to advance the adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi) on Bitcoin. Tyr Capital will play a crucial role as a node operator in BOB’s BitVM deployment, helping to drive operational excellence and scalability in its decentralized financial ecosystem. BitVM, a novel approach to enabling smart contract capabilities on Bitcoin, is revolutionizing how the Bitcoin blockchain can be utilized beyond its traditional role as sound money. By introducing programmability akin to other smart contract platforms, BitVM unlocks new opportunities for yield generation, financial innovation, and broader adoption of Bitcoin within the DeFi space. This partnership aims to address the crucial requirement of aligning BitVM’s technological advancements with operational and business needs of institutional asset managers. By bringing together BitVM builders, Web3 businesses and institutions like Tyr Capital that will benefit from and help operate BitVM, bitvm/acc will ensure BitVM is developed in line with the business needs of both users and operators.
Bitget launches first RWA Index Perpetual contracts on tokenized Tesla, Nvidia, and USDC assets; enabling 24/5 trading on blockchain
Crypto exchange Bitget has introduced the industry’s first Real-World Asset (RWA) Index Perpetual Contract, opening trading on tokenized equities and other traditional assets through its futures platform. The RWA Index Perpetuals will start with Tesla, Nvidia, and Circle’s USDC-related contracts. Each index reflects a basket of tokenized versions of the same stock issued by different third parties, a structure designed to stabilize pricing. The contracts mirror the mechanics of existing crypto perpetuals, with index values drawn from multiple sources. The platform plans to adjust weightings based on market activity, trading volumes, and liquidity conditions. “This product shows the platform’s advancement as compared to other players, as it enables traders with exposure to a modern and traditional range of asset classes, bridging the gap between TradFi and DeFi,” commented Gracy Chen, the CEO at Bitget. RWA Index Perpetuals will trade on a 5×24 schedule, closing on weekends and during stock market holidays. Prices will remain frozen during closures to avoid liquidation risks, though traders can add margin ahead of reopening. Funding fees will pause while markets are shut and resume once trading resumes. The contracts will initially support isolated margin mode only, with leverage capped at 10x and open interest limits applied across the exchange. At launch, index pricing is sourced from xStocks. Bitget plans to add more issuers and expand the RWA futures range later this quarter. Cryptocurrency exchanges are pushing deeper into tokenized equity markets, with Bitget, Kraken, and Robinhood all rolling out offerings that let investors trade digital versions of U.S. stocks outside regular Wall Street hours. The products promise 24/5 access to companies like Apple and Tesla on blockchain platforms, though some analysts question whether they offer real benefits compared with existing instruments such as contracts for difference (CFDs).
Kraken is bringing xStocks to Ethereum unlocking opportunities for tokenized stocks and ETFs to be integrated across the world’s most widely adopted smart contract network and build DeFi workflows on chain
In partnership with Backed, Kraken is bringing xStocks to the Ethereum blockchain, unlocking a new wave of opportunities for tokenized stocks and ETFs to be integrated across the world’s most widely adopted smart contract network. By extending Kraken’s support of xStocks to Ethereum, we’re enabling millions of Ethereum users and thousands of live applications to source the industry standard for tokenized equities liquidity. In the coming weeks, eligible Kraken clients will be able to deposit and withdraw xStocks directly on Ethereum, providing investors greater choice and flexibility to transfer assets between the Kraken platform and self-custodial wallets for on-chain activity. As part of the integration, Backed will issue xStocks as ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum, ensuring full 1:1 collateralization for every tokenized equity listed on Kraken’s platform. Ethereum ecosystem partners will also work to expand xStocks integrations across DeFi protocols, wallets and dApps — bringing tokenized equities into one of the largest and most innovative communities in Web3. Having already launched xStocks to Kraken clients via Solana — and following recent announcements of upcoming integrations with BNB chain and the TRON network — xStocks have quickly become established as the global standard for tokenized equities.