Pokémon Cards Poised for Blockchain Integration, Says Bitwise Analyst

The Pokémon franchise, with its $21.4 billion trading card market, may soon embrace blockchain technology, according to Bitwise research analyst Danny Nelson. In a post on X, Nelson suggested that Pokémon cards are primed for their "Polymarket moment," drawing parallels to how crypto innovations like prediction markets have entered the mainstream.

Unlike traditional real-world asset (RWA) tokenization—which focuses on stocks, treasuries, and real estate—Pokémon cards stand to benefit uniquely from blockchain. Their reliance on physical shipping and authentication makes them ideal candidates for on-chain solutions. "Tokenization brings little incremental value to markets with existing digital rails," Nelson noted, "but for collectibles like Charizard or Pikachu cards, it could be transformative."