Mantle Advisor Predicts Trillion-Dollar RWA Market by 2030, Positions Network for Leadership

Executive Summary

Mantle advisor Emily Rio Freeman forecast the tokenized Real World Asset market to reach trillions by 2030, with Mantle aiming to spearhead this growth.

The Event in Detail

Emily Rio Freeman, an advisor to Mantle, speaking at the 2025 Milken Institute Asia Summit, emphasized the rapid acceleration of tokenized Real World Assets (RWA). She stated that the RWA market, currently valued in the billions of dollars, is projected to expand significantly, potentially reaching a trillion-dollar scale by 2030. This projection underscores a broader trend towards integrating tangible assets onto blockchain networks. Mantle, through its technological advancements and strategic collaborations, is actively preparing to lead this anticipated wave of RWA adoption, intending to generate substantial value for MNT token holders and global investors.

Deconstruct the Financial Mechanics

Real World Assets (RWA) refer to the process of representing tangible assets from the physical world as digital tokens on a blockchain. This mechanism enhances accessibility to previously exclusive investments by connecting digital and tangible asset values. The RWA sector currently represents a crypto market exceeding $230 billion, showing approximately 69% growth since early 2024. The dominant segment within RWA is fiat-backed stablecoins, which account for $224.9 billion of the total. Tokenized treasuries constitute another rapidly expanding category, valued at $5.6 billion as of April 2025, marking a 539% increase since early 2024. Major financial institutions are active in this space; for example, BlackRock's BUIDL fund commands a 44% market share in the tokenized treasuries sector. Other key categories include commodity-backed tokens and private credit. The total value locked (TVL) in RWA protocols has also reached a new high of almost $12.7 billion as of June 2025.

Analyze Business Strategy & Market Positioning

Mantle's strategy focuses on building a bridge between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi), positioning itself as a leader in the tokenized RWA space. The network, described as Ethereum's largest Layer 2 (L2) network with ZK proofs, emphasizes a modular design, EigenLayer integration for ETH restaking, and native assets such as mETH (a liquid ETH staking protocol) and fBTC (a wrapped Bitcoin asset). Mantle is actively developing Mantle Banking, a crypto neobank aiming to unify fiat and crypto finances into a single user interface, addressing friction in on-ramping and off-ramping. Additionally, the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund is designed to provide institutional-grade access to crypto beta, offering diversified exposure to BTC (50%), ETH (26.5%), SOL (8.5%), and stablecoins (15%), with enhanced staking yields. Mantle's $200 million EcoFund, supported by Mirana Ventures, drives ecosystem growth by backing transformative projects and accessing deal flow through over 20 leading venture capitalists.

Market Implications

The projected growth of the tokenized RWA market to trillions by 2030 signifies a fundamental shift in how assets are owned, traded, and managed. This trend holds significant implications for the broader Web3 ecosystem, potentially attracting substantial capital and fostering innovation in DeFi applications. The tokenization of RWAs democratizes finance by offering broader access to investment opportunities, including fractional ownership of high-value assets, and enabling new sources of yield from traditional assets. This movement is seen to improve market efficiency and transparency while potentially reducing transaction costs and settlement times. For corporate adoption, the entry of major financial institutions like BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Franklin Templeton, alongside clearer regulatory frameworks such as Europe's MiCA regulation and the proposed U.S. GENIUS Act, provides credibility and a pathway for wider institutional engagement. This institutional involvement is critical for accelerating the integration of digital assets with mainstream finance and reshaping global capital flows.

Expert Commentary

Emily Rio Freeman's assertion regarding the RWA market's trillion-dollar potential by 2030 reflects a bullish sentiment within the industry, particularly for projects like Mantle and its MNT token. Analysts and market data, such as those from CoinGecko's RWA 2025 Report, corroborate the significant growth trajectory of the RWA sector. The report highlights the sector's evolution from a niche experiment into one of the most credible and capitalized areas in crypto. The substantial increase in tokenized treasuries and the entry of major financial institutions are frequently cited as indicators of strong long-term growth potential in tokenized assets.

Broader Context

The RWA tokenization market has experienced substantial growth, surging from $85 million in 2020 to $30 billion by mid-2025. This expansion is largely fueled by increasing institutional adoption and evolving regulatory clarity. Forecasts from various financial research firms, including McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, and Standard Chartered, offer projections for the RWA market size, with some optimistic outlooks suggesting a market valuation of $30 trillion by 2034. This growth indicates a broader recognition of the advantages tokenization offers over traditional finance, including improved accessibility, efficiency, and transparency. While challenges remain in establishing comprehensive legal frameworks and ensuring liquidity in secondary markets, continuous collaboration among institutions, regulators, and technology providers is aimed at building interoperable frameworks to support the safe scaling of tokenized markets.