KEYTAKEAWAYS
- Hong Kong is positioning itself as a global Web3 hub by integrating traditional finance with digital assets through policy support and infrastructure development.
- Major financial institutions like BlackRock and JPMorgan are adopting RWA solutions, with the market expected to reach $6.8 trillion by 2030.
- Technological advancements from companies like Avalanche provide compliant infrastructure for RWA tokenization, enabling real-world applications in asset management and payments.
CONTENT
Highlights from the ‘Tokenizing the Future’ event during Hong Kong Web3 Festival, exploring Real World Assets (RWA) innovation, regulatory challenges, and ecosystem development with industry leaders.
On the afternoon of April 5,“Tokenizing the Future: RWA’s Path to Mainstream Adoption”, a side event hosted by Avalanche and Starbase, and co-hosted by Google Cloud, WebEye, and SNZ Holding, successfully concluded during Hong Kong Web3 Festival.
The event explored the innovations, opportunities, challenges, and development trajectory of Real World Assets (RWA), attracting nearly 800 registrants. Over 200 participants — including industry experts, institutional investors, project teams, and Web3 enthusiasts — gathered onsite for meaningful discussions and collaboration on the future of RWA.
During the event, builders and professionals from leading institutions and projects — including InvestHK Fintech, HashKey Tokenization, Morph, Merlin Chain, Pharos, Gelato, DFG, thePAC, Navi Protocol, Advertising Time Trace, and R2 — shared valuable insights and experiences around key topics such as asset tokenization, market innovation, regulatory challenges in Hong Kong and globally, and ecosystem development.
KEYNOTE SPEECHES
InvestHK Fintech
InvestHK Fintech, a key department under InvestHK,is dedicated to driving Hong Kong’s position as a global leader in the fintech sector and advancing its role as a strategic gateway connecting Asia with global markets. Pauline Fan, Web3 Lead and Senior Vice President at InvestHK Fintech, highlighted Hong Kong’s unique positioning as the world’s third-largest financial center and outlined its strategic roadmap for advancing Web3 and digital asset innovation.
She pointed out that Hong Kong is accelerating the integration of traditional finance and digital assets through a combination of policy support (such as new regulations on OTC trading and custody for virtual assets, and the introduction of the Stablecoins Bill), infrastructure development (including the Cyberport Blockchain Support Portal and tokenized interbank settlement via the HKMA’s Project Ensemble Sandbox), and ecosystem expansion (with 10 licensed virtual asset trading platforms and dedicated support for RWA initiatives).
Pauline emphasized that going forward, Hong Kong will focus on opportunities such as compliant virtual asset trading, innovation in asset management through new asset classes, and sustainable infrastructure financing via RWA, empowering institutional investors to optimize their portfolios through digital assets. InvestHK will continue to drive Hong Kong’s position as a global hub for Web3 innovation and compliant development.
Avalanche
Avalanche is a network of interoperable Layer 1 blockchains.With its innovative multi-chain architecture and subnet technology, it provides customized, compliant, and efficient solutions for the integration of traditional finance and Web3. Justin, Head of Asia at Ava Labs, shared Avalanche’s technological advantages, ecosystem development, and achievements in the RWA and asset tokenization sectors.
He highlighted that Avalanche offers high performance such as instant finality and flexible multi L1 architecture, capable of meeting institutional-grade financial application needs. It also supports compliance features like KYC verification and geofencing, making it adaptable to various regulatory environments.
In terms of real-world applications, Avalanche has made significant strides in asset management, banking system integration, and payment networks. For example, it has collaborated with top financial institutions like BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and KKR to launch tokenized funds. JPMorgan has built the Onyx cross-chain settlement channel on AvaCloud, and SMBC is developing a compliant stablecoin system. Avalanche has also partnered with StraitsX, Grab, and Ant International to build a cross-border payment network.
Looking ahead, Avalanche will continue to strengthen its infrastructure, further integrating traditional assets with blockchain technology, and accelerating the digital transformation of the global financial system.
Starbase
Starbase is a global accelerator focused on the Web3.0 space, dedicated to addressing three core needs for projects: application scenarios, capital assets, and user growth, through platform-based acceleration support. The core team has been deeply involved in the industry for 7 years and has established a network of over 300 partners across more than 20 countries and regions, covering infrastructure, public blockchain ecosystems, industry funds, and developer communities.
Founder Vivian has been closely focused on and deeply involved in the RWA sector for an extended period. In her speech, she shared insights on the development trends in this field, noting that RWA is a key bridge between Web3 and traditional finance, with the market size expected to reach $6.8 trillion by 2030.
Currently, Starbase has assisted multiple traditional financial institutions in exploring asset tokenization pathways. Starbase will continue to leverage its practical experience, compliance advantages, and resource integration capabilities to help more high-quality assets realize tokenization and value release.
WebEye
WebEye is a Google Cloud Certified Premier Partner and Managed Service Provider (MSP), empowering businesses to thrive in the Web3 era. Tod, WebEye’s Web3 and AI Industry Manager, showcased the company’s comprehensive global technology services and proven solutions.
WebEye provides global, high-performance, and secure infrastructure for Web3 applications, leveraging AI and big data to unlock valuable user insights and optimize operations. Through its deep collaboration with Google Cloud’s Web3 support program, WebEye holds a unique advantage in helping businesses achieve seamless cloud migration and seize the opportunities brought by Web3.
PANEL 1 ——RWA SYNERGIES: TOKENIZATION, MARKET INTEGRATION & THE EVOLVING ECOSYSTEM
This panel featured four speakers: Vino from HashKey Tokenization; EudemoniaCC , Head of APAC at Morph; JJ, Growth Partner at thePAC, and Vivian Mei,Deputy General Counsel of AI Mall Ecosystem.
The discussion delved into the current state of RWA development, market integration pathways, and ecosystem evolution. Speakers offered insights from diverse perspectives—including financial institutions, infrastructure providers, ecosystem builders, and emerging application scenarios—analyzing the core value of asset tokenization, regulatory challenges, and the feasibility of real-world adoption.
They also shared their hands-on experience in areas such as policy adaptation, cross-chain collaboration, and user education, and offered insights into the future application prospects of RWA in global finance and consumer markets, as well as trends in ecosystem integration.
PANEL 2 ——RWA YIELD REVOLUTION: CONNECTING TRADFI & DEFI
This panel was moderated by Angela, CMO of DFG & Jsquare, and featured guest speakers including Laura (CSO & CMO of Pharos), Jonathan (Head of Partnership at Merlin Chain), Christophe (BD lead APACat Gelato), Carl (BD Lead at Navi Protocol), and Enzzo (CBDO of R2).
The panelists explored innovations and sustainability in RWA yields, the current landscape of yield-generating products, and key differences and synergies between RWA, traditional finance, and DeFi models such as LSD and restaking.
As infrastructure builders, Pharos, Merlin, and Gelato introduced their differentiated solutions in areas like technical architecture, liquidity support, and regulatory alignment. Meanwhile, Navi Protocol and R2 shared how they are leveraging DeFi to create sustainable yield mechanisms for RWAs.
Through keynotes and panel discussions, this RWA-focused event offered deep insights into the vast potential of RWA in driving technological innovation, regulatory development, and ecosystem integration.
With traditional giants like BlackRock and JPMorgan entering the space, and real-world use cases such as cross-border payments and tokenized funds beginning to take shape, RWA is rapidly moving toward mainstream adoption.
Looking ahead, under the dual momentum of improving regulatory frameworks and continuous technological advancement, RWA is poised to become a core bridge between traditional finance and the blockchain ecosystem—unlocking a new trillion-dollar blue ocean.
Huge thanks to all the speakers and partners for their strong support of this event.
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