Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is gaining traction as one of the most promising developments in traditional finance, and recent pro-crypto legislation—especially the US GENIUS Act—is expected to accelerate growth in the space, according to Solomon Tesfaye, the newly appointed chief business officer at Aptos Labs.

Speaking with Cointelegraph ahead of the GENIUS Act’s approval, Tesfaye highlighted the increasing institutional interest in crypto, driven in part by stronger engagement between policymakers and Web3 leaders.

“We’re seeing more open dialogue between policymakers and Web3 leaders that is shaping legislation and giving institutions more confidence to commit to longer digital asset roadmaps,” Tesfaye said. “More specifically, the GENIUS Act is one of the strongest signals that Congress is ready to support responsible blockchain innovation.”

After delays during the Republicans’ designated “crypto week,” the U.S. House of Representatives passed the GENIUS Act along with two additional crypto-related bills. President Donald Trump signed the legislation into law on Friday, establishing a regulatory framework for the $260 billion stablecoin market.

While not always counted in RWA metrics, stablecoins are typically backed by government bonds or other tangible assets, effectively placing them within the RWA category. They are also seen as vital infrastructure for the growth of tokenization, offering benefits such as predictability, lower fees, improved liquidity, and a connection between traditional and decentralized finance systems.

The total value of stablecoins has climbed by nearly $3 billion over the past week, surpassing $261 billion. Tesfaye believes that a supportive U.S. regulatory environment will be key to the future of tokenized asset adoption and innovation.

Much of the RWA market so far has been focused on tokenized private credit and U.S. Treasury debt. A recent report by RedStone, Gauntlet, and RWA.xyz noted that private credit accounted for nearly 60% of the market as of June, followed by tokenized treasuries at around 28%.

“The initial adoption of tokenization has been centered on bringing legacy financial assets onto modern digital rails, and treasuries and private credit are perfect starting points. Onchain, they settle faster, trade easier, and can easily be fractionalized,” said Tesfaye, adding:

“Looking ahead, it’s not hard to imagine a future where RWAs expand into more complex asset classes like derivatives, IP or esoteric asset classes. As the financial infrastructure matures, it won’t just be about access or efficiency. It will be centered on unlocking entirely new financial products and global participation.”

Aptos is becoming a significant platform for RWA activity. As previously reported by Cointelegraph, the value of tokenized RWAs on the Aptos blockchain surpassed $540 million in late June, led by issuers such as Berkeley Square from the PACT Consortium and BlackRock’s BUIDL, which joined the network less than a year ago.

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/genius-act-rwa-tokenization-aptos-growth

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/07/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-signs-genius-act-into-law/

https://defillama.com/stablecoins

https://app.rwa.xyz/