Tokenized Stocks Could Be Next Stablecoins, Says Bitwave CEO

The CEO of Bitwave sees tokenized stocks as the next big wave in digital assets, following the massive success of stablecoins. He cites Nasdaq's recent decision to extend trading hours to 23 hours a day as proof of the market's shift toward continuous trading of digital assets.

Details

According to Bitwave's CEO, tokenized stocks represent a natural evolution of digital assets, allowing investors to trade traditional company shares as tokens on a blockchain. He notes that stablecoins have paved the way by proving the viability of digital assets in payments and settlements.

Stablecoins settled $33 trillion on-chain in 2025, an amount exceeding the total payment volume processed by Visa and Mastercard combined. This remarkable growth raises the question of which real-world asset (RWA) will next see widespread adoption.

Context

These comments come at a time when traditional financial institutions are accelerating their adoption of digital assets. Nasdaq announced extended trading hours to 23 hours, reflecting growing demand for continuous trading, which aligns with the 24/7 nature of cryptocurrency trading. Additionally, firms like BlackRock and Fidelity have begun offering digital asset-related products.

What This Means for Investors

If Bitwave's prediction materializes, we could see a major shift in how stocks are traded, with tokenized stocks becoming a popular way to trade traditional equities on blockchain, increasing liquidity and reducing trading costs. However, regulation remains a key hurdle, as regulators have yet to approve such products on a large scale.