Morgan Stanley aims for $3T to $10T tokenized asset market by 2030, targets Q1 2027 for tokenized equities

Q1 2027: New Timeline for Tokenized Equity Support

Morgan Stanley has rescheduled its timeline for rolling out tokenized equity trading from the second half of 2026 to the first quarter of 2027. The bank is actively developing infrastructure through its alternative trading system (ATS), which facilitates matching of securities orders away from traditional public exchanges.

Amy Oldenburg described the new target as more realistic, noting that institutional demand for tokenized assets remains restrained due to the nascent state of necessary products and supporting ecosystem.

To streamline client experience, Morgan Stanley is also building proprietary wallet technology, enabling investors to hold digital assets directly without the complexities of managing blockchain infrastructure.

The Digital Asset Lab at Morgan Stanley is currently testing various blockchain solutions before advancing them to production stages, a move aimed at ensuring readiness when market conditions mature.

Integrating these new systems would allow clients to custody and trade both traditional and blockchain-based securities side by side, removing the need for separate trading environments.

Tokenized equities may be integrated as early as Q1 2027, but institutional uptake is expected to accelerate only as the ecosystem matures and core infrastructure solidifies. This shift marks a step toward blending conventional finance with emerging digital asset capabilities.

Massive Market Growth Anticipated

The scale of potential market expansion remains significant. According to data from RWA.xyz, the value of tokenized real-world assets, excluding stablecoins, reached about $38.63 billion as of October 1.

Of this, tokenized U.S. Treasuries comprised $14.64 billion, private credit stood at $7.97 billion, and tokenized equities made up $3.23 billion. A leap to $10 trillion would represent approximately 259 times today’s market size, while a $3 trillion market would be a 78-fold increase.

Morgan Stanley’s analytical forecast for tokenized assets, published in October, outlined a $2.3 trillion base-case scenario. This was primarily attributed to gains in collateral mobility, growth in tokenized Treasuries, and improving institutional liquidity management.

Rival institutions are ramping up efforts in the tokenization space. On October 8, Securitize introduced blockchain-based trading for 12 leading U.S. stocks—including Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia—enabling eligible clients to access tokenized shares secured by actual equities.

Additionally, DTCC is gearing up to launch a broad-based tokenization service, expanding on collaborative efforts with over 50 global financial institutions. The initiative has secured early involvement from firms like BlackRock and JPMorgan, underlining heightened interest in blockchain-based settlement solutions among major players.

Given the rapid growth and ongoing development of digital finance infrastructure, precise portfolio monitoring and market awareness have become critical. In a market where a single Fed decision or a sudden altcoin listing can change everything in seconds, jumping between different apps for charts, news, and portfolio tracking is costing investors money.