Coinbase Declares Tokenization the Ultimate Key to Unlocking Global Wealth Access
Forget waiting for a trust fund. The vault doors are swinging open—digitally.
Coinbase, the crypto behemoth, just dropped a bombshell: tokenization isn't just another tech trend; it's the master key to wealth. Their latest analysis argues that by converting real-world assets—from real estate and fine art to corporate equity—into digital tokens on a blockchain, the entire financial system gets a brutal, necessary upgrade.
Demolishing the Old Guard's Walls
Traditional finance operates like an exclusive club with a velvet rope. High minimums, geographic locks, and layers of middlemen keep most of the world's population on the sidelines. Tokenization cuts the rope. It bypasses the gatekeepers by allowing fractional ownership. Want a piece of a Manhattan skyscraper or a vintage Ferrari? Soon, you might buy a sliver with the cash in your digital wallet, no private banker required.
Liquidity Injects the Stagnant Pools
Illiquidity has always been the silent killer of wealth in alternative assets. You might own a valuable painting, but turning it into cash is a slow, painful auction process. Tokenized assets trade on digital markets 24/7. That vineyard or government bond suddenly becomes as easy to buy and sell as a meme coin—arguably with better fundamentals. It transforms dormant capital into active, working money.
The Cynical Truth About 'Access'
Let's be real—the old-money crowd loves illiquidity. It keeps the playing field small and the valuations fuzzy. Tokenization's transparency and efficiency are a direct threat to that cozy, profitable opacity. The finance jab? Wall Street isn't afraid of disruption; it's terrified of democratization. When everyone can see the ledger and set the price, the traditional markup on 'exclusivity' evaporates.
The message is clear: the future of wealth isn't about who you know or where you're born. It's about who holds the keys to the blockchain. The race to tokenize the world's assets is on, and it promises to rewrite the rules of ownership itself. Whether the old guard adapts or gets bulldozed is the trillion-dollar question.
Coinbase calls tokenization the key to wealth access
There’s a fundamental problem with global wealth creation:
– Capital markets overwhelming benefit the rich
– Working income growth is massively outpaced by capital income
– Most people are unable to or priced out from participating in the best financial markets
Everyone should… pic.twitter.com/AjP2wOVztb
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) January 20, 2026
According to Coinbase, the wealth divide is caused by access to financial markets rather than income. The crypto exchange revealed that approximately 4 billion adults globally lack access to bonds or stocks. Just 17% of the lowest-earning households in the U.S. own equities, compared to 96% of the highest-earning families.
Coinbase’s report stated stock ownership is often below 10% in many emerging economies, demonstrating that being shut out of the capital markets is a greater obstacle to wealth than low income alone. This lack of access is compounded by other barriers, such as high minimum investment requirements or complex onboarding processes, which prevent many people from taking advantage of wealth-building opportunities.
The digital asset platform claimed that, in addition to receiving a salary, one must be able to save, invest, and expand with the economy to achieve genuine economic freedom. These barriers limit general prosperity and deepen social differences, creating a structural gap between the capital-rich and the capital-poor.
To address this gap, Coinbase went on to reveal that tokenization is a way to achieve economic freedom through connected payments to international capital markets, giving everyone greater access to opportunities for wealth accumulation. The digital asset platform noted that this approach is meant to expand the benefits of technological breakthroughs to all people, not just financial innovators.
The crypto exchange further stated that the transformative opportunity lies in extending the technological framework to traditional assets themselves, such as tokenizing stocks, bonds, and other assets on permissionless blockchains.
Coinbase also noted that tokenized equities markets may lower investor transaction costs by more than 30% in the NEAR future, with a much bigger long-term advantage. However, the actual effects are greater participation and a wider distribution of wealth rather than just cheaper markets.
Coinbase claimed that tokenization can facilitate easy movement and global access to assets.
In the report, Coinbase mentioned stablecoins as another path to expanding capital. Notably, stablecoins have already demonstrated their usefulness as an inexpensive 24/7 payment rail. However, stablecoins are merely the base, according to Coinbase.
Coinbase also highlighted B2B payments, which increased from under $100 million per month in early 2023 to over $6.4 billion by August of last year, indicating a shift from experimentation to inclusion into fundamental financial operations.
Coinbase identifies technology and policy in financial inclusion
Coinbase described technology as an essential component of addressing the financial gap. Policymakers must also intervene to promote economic freedom and enable more people to build wealth.
The crypto exchange said technology and policymakers’ intervention should entail a favorable regulatory framework that supports innovation while guaranteeing consumer protection.
To address the financial divide, Coinbase proposed that regulators allow banks to engage with tokenization technology, establishing transparent pathways for tokenizing traditional assets, and preserving the neutrality of public blockchains.
The crypto exchange also noted that establishing an inclusive financial ecosystem will need upgrading market protections and acknowledging the right to self-custody.
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