A new wave of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization could be on the horizon, with Pokémon trading cards as the next major asset class to move onto the blockchain. According to Bitwise research analyst Danny Nelson, this could bring the massive $21.4 billion market to the blockchain, creating a "sticky" innovation that breaks into the mainstream.
While the current $28.2 billion RWA market is dominated by traditional financial assets like stocks and real estate, Nelson argues that Pokémon cards could benefit far more from blockchain technology. The current trading process, which involves physically shipping cards, is highly inefficient. Onchain trading would solve this problem, enabling fast transactions and potentially unlocking new investment opportunities like Pokémon ETFs in the future.
This speculation comes as Collector Crypt, a new tokenization platform on Solana, is gaining traction. The platform allows users to trade Pokémon cards onchain, and its native token, CARDS, has already surged tenfold to a fully diluted volume of $450 million since its recent launch. The early success of Collector Crypt's Gacha Machine project, which has generated significant revenue, further highlights the strong demand for a more efficient trading solution.
This development in the trading card market aligns with a broader trend in the NFT space, which saw its highest trading volume since January, with sales reaching $578 million in August.
September 2025, Cryptoniteuae