Tokenization could propel DeFi to $2.7 trillion by 2030 according to Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered predicts that the total value locked in DeFi will reach $2.7 trillion by the end of 2030, a 37-fold increase from current levels. This forecast is based on two distinct drivers: the migration of tokenized real-world assets to the blockchain, and the rise of crypto protocols. But is such a trajectory realistic when only 3% of stablecoins still circulate in decentralized protocols? 

Growth driven by tokenized assets and institutional flows

DeFi enters a new cycle. Standard Chartered, in a note published on June 16, 2026, identifies two main drivers for this expansion: the tokenization of real-world assets, bonds, money market funds, stocks, real estate, and the growing migration of crypto-native capital to onchain protocols. 

These data fit into a broader trend that RWA assets have already documented for several quarters, with a 600% increase confirmed by Binance Research.

Geoff Kendrick estimates that the share of tokenized assets active in DeFi will rise from about 3.5% today to 30% by 2030. This figure implies not only a multiplication of onchain value but also a structural transformation of usage. 

Tokenized money market funds and tokenized stocks should, according to him, capture the majority of inflows, a dynamic consistent with Standard Chartered’s previous forecast of non-stablecoin RWAs at $2 trillion by 2028.

Uniswap as an institutional DeFi hub, but obstacles persist

Kendrick positions Uniswap as a natural candidate to host flows of tokenized assets. He highlights the protocol’s scale, reputation, and experience through several crypto cycles. 

For traditional financial institutions, reliability outweighs short-term yield, and Uniswap meets this requirement better than newer protocols.

However, several experts temper this optimism. Chris Kim, CEO of Axis, raises the problem of fragmented liquidity. Issuing the same asset on multiple blockchains creates price gaps and increases transaction costs, even if the overall market value rises. 

Oya Celiktemur, Head of Sales at Ondo Finance for the EMEA region, had reminded at Paris Blockchain Week in April that an illiquid asset does not become liquid simply by being tokenized. These structural limits of tokenization deserve consideration alongside growth projections.

In sum, Standard Chartered’s projection sets an ambitious quantified framework for the opening DeFi decade. The convergence between institutional adoption, the rise of RWAs, and maturation of protocols like Uniswap creates favorable conditions. 

But reaching $2.7 trillion will require concrete solutions on fragmented liquidity, regulatory framework, and interoperability between blockchains. The potential is real, and so are the obstacles.