Is Tokenization Gold's Next Big Step?

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As always it is important to note that investing in precious metals like silver carries risks, and market conditions can change violently with shock and awe tactics, that we have seen over the past 20 years. Before making any investment decisions, it's advisable consult with a financial advisor if needed. Also the practice of conducting thorough research and to consider your investment goals and risk tolerance.

Tokenization involves utilizing a programmable ledger to digitally symbolize the ownership of an asset — whether financial or otherwise — in a format that can be transferred, according to a report this year by the World Economic Forum.

By generating verifiably unique digital tokens that can be issued, stored, and traded on these ledgers, tokenization facilitates the exchange of information and value. In this context, a "token" signifies something of value, such as a claim on or a digitized version of a real or financial asset, which can be legally and operationally exchanged on a programmable ledger.

Tokenization has been a popular term among crypto enthusiasts for quite some time, with advocates asserting that blockchain-based assets will transform the foundational infrastructure of financial markets, Anirban Sen wrote for Reuters on July 23.

"The technology is seen as rapidly increasing in coming years, especially in the U.S., helped by the passage of three new bills," the story noted. "President Donald Trump's administration has eased regulation of the broader crypto industry, paving the way for a boom in the valuation of companies in the sector and the rapid growth of crypto-related securities."

A Pivotal Moment

Are tokenized assets taking off? According to Sen writing for Reuters, the answer is both yes and no. Stablecoins have seen significant growth in recent years, with the market valued at approximately US$256 billion, according to crypto data provider CoinMarketCap, and projected to reach US$2 trillion by 2028, as per Standard Chartered.

However, Sen said that while banks have long discussed creating tokenized versions of other asset types to make trading more efficient, faster, and cheaper, these "tokens" have struggled to gain widespread adoption.

Advocates within the crypto industry argue that tokenization can enhance liquidity in the financial system, according to the Reuters piece. Illiquid assets, such as real estate, could be traded more readily if divided into smaller digital tokens. This approach is also expected to improve access to asset classes typically beyond the reach of smaller investors by lowering the entry barrier.

Several major global banks, including Bank of America and Citi, have expressed interest in exploring tokenized assets, Sen noted. Asset manager BlackRock is intensifying its focus on the tokenization trend, aiming to become the largest cryptocurrency manager globally by 2030. Coinbase, the leading U.S. crypto exchange, is seeking approval from the SEC to offer "tokenized equities" to its clients.

Tokenized stocks might be nearing a pivotal moment as investor interest in blockchain-based financial products grows, potentially speeding up the integration of traditional assets onto the blockchain, wrote Zoltan Vardai for the website Cointelegraph on August 6.

According to a Binance Research report shared with the site, tokenized stocks reached a market capitalization of US$370 million by the end of July. The majority, US$260 million, was attributed to Exodus Movement (EXOD) shares issued through Securitize. Excluding this amount, the market capitalization of tokenized stocks increased to US$53.6 million, reflecting a 220% rise since June.

The growth rate of tokenized stocks mirrors the early surge of decentralized finance (DeFi), when total value locked (TVL) soared from US$1 billion to US$100 billion in less than two years from 2020 to 2021, the report noted.

Tokenized equities could represent a trillion-dollar market opportunity as investor interest continues to rise, according to the article by Vardai. If just 1% of global equities were to be tokenized on the blockchain, tokenized stocks could exceed a market cap of US$1.3 trillion. This would make them worth eight times more than the DeFi market at its height, according to Binance Research.

The introduction of more tokenized financial products is expected to increase the demand for more "sophisticated" DeFi infrastructure, as these two sectors are likely to "reinforce each other and propel blockchain adoption into the mainstream," Binance said, according to Vardai's piece.

Trillions in New Value?

Various financial services firms are forecasting that tokenization within the financial sector could create trillions of dollars in new value over the coming decade, according to a report called "Tokenization in financial services: Embracing a new ecosystem" by Deloitte.

While some may view these projections with skepticism, they likely represent only a small portion of the global market of assets that could be tokenized, the article said. Consider the numerous sectors with assets that could be tokenized: real estate, private equity, venture capital funds, exchange-traded products, and many more.

And gold, of course. With a market capitalization exceeding US$20 trillion, the yellow metal is a long-standing store of value but has often faced challenges related to accessibility and liquidity due to its physical nature, according to Joel Agbo's guide to tokenized gold on CoinGecko, updated May 5.

While gold ETFs offer a means for investment, they operate within regulated, centralized frameworks and often do not provide retail investors with direct ownership or the ability to redeem physical gold.

The emergence of gold tokenization, which leverages blockchain technology, is creating a potentially more transparent and efficient global marketplace for gold. Over the past five years, this sector has experienced significant growth. Currently, according to CoinGecko, the market for tokenized gold is valued at over US$2 billion and is positioned as a key trend to watch in 2025.

Agbo noted that tokenization democratizes access to gold investments, enabling purchases of very small fractions on exchanges, such as Binance, which supports transactions as small as 0.0000031 PAXG (approximately $0.01). Tokenized gold can also be traded around the clock on global cryptocurrency exchanges, providing superior liquidity. Additionally, the immutable nature of blockchain ledgers ensures that every token transaction is permanently and publicly recorded, and tokenized gold can also be integrated into decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms.

The following are two companies that offer various forms of tokenized gold.

Streamex Corp.

Streamex Corp. (STEX:NASDAQ) is a real-world asset tokenization company with institutional-grade infrastructure designed to bring the gold and commodities market on-chain. Enabled by a gold-denominated treasury and tokenization technology, Streamex said it aims to revolutionize access to commodities through blockchain innovation.

In September, the company announced it had signed a letter of intent with Simplify Asset Management, an ETF manager overseeing more than US$10 billion in assets. The potential collaboration aims to explore the integration of Streamex’s tokenized gold yield product within Simplify’s ETF structures and establish a framework for co-developing tokenized exchange-traded product (ETP)/ETF solutions, pending definitive agreements and regulatory approval.

According to the letter of intent, Streamex and Simplify plan to work together to design, launch, and distribute products that incorporate tokenized commodities, starting with gold, into ETF and ETP vehicles.

This initiative seeks to push ETF innovation beyond traditional equities and fixed income, offering scalable, blockchain-enabled access to yield-bearing precious metal strategies. Through this potential partnership, Streamex’s yield-bearing gold token could be embedded directly into Simplify’s ETFs, effectively connecting blockchain-based tokenization with the regulated ETF market.

Streamex said this integration is anticipated to generate significant institutional demand for its Gold Yield Token by providing ETF investors with direct exposure to yield-generating, tokenized gold assets within trusted, liquid, and regulated products.

"This is a transformative step in uniting the US$10 trillion USD ETF industry with the innovation of real-world asset tokenization," said Henry McPhie, CEO of Streamex Corp. "Simplify's reputation for product innovation and deep ETF distribution, combined with Streamex's tokenized gold infrastructure, will unlock new pathways for institutional and retail investors to access yield on gold inside regulated ETF wrappers."

Streamex is the result of a merger between BioSig Technologies Inc. and Streamex Exchange Corp. It changed its name officially, and its Nasdaq symbol to STEX, on September 12.

*That same day, John Newell of John Newell & Associates published an article on Streamex Corp., expressing his view that the stock remained technically appealing.

In his analysis, Newell rated Streamex Corp. as a Speculative Buy, with the stock priced at US$6.00 at the time of the report. He outlined the following price targets:

• First Target: US$6.50 — a measured move aligning with previous reaction highs and Fibonacci confluence.
• Second Target: US$11.75 — a retest of the summer peak and a potential recognition point for broader market interest.
• Third Target: US$14.50 — a breakout extension target if momentum accelerates.
• Big Picture Target: US$20.00 — representing a full recovery toward prior cycle highs and marking the completion of a long-term reversal pattern.

Since then, the company has reached and surpassed the first target, prompting Newell to share an updated chart with a next target of US$11.75 on September 22.

According to Refinitiv, about 21% of the company is owned by insiders and management and about 29% is owned by institutions. The rest is retail.

Top shareholders include Legacy Wealth Management LLC with 19.39%, Donald Garlikov with 8.6%, Anthony Amato with 8.6%, The Vanguard Group Inc. with 2.81%, and Armistice Capital LLC with 2.42%, Refinitiv noted.

Its market cap is US$808.31 million with 144.34 million shares outstanding. It trades in a 52-week range of US$0.23 and US$14.11.

AuCan Gold Inc.

AuCan Gold Inc. is a private global exploration, production, and gold management ecosystem that owns, develops, and mines its own gold properties.

AuCan holds over 8,700 hectares in the Abitibi region, in and around Timmins, Ontario, Canada, with up to 1.5 million ounces (Moz) of gold resources compliant with National Instrument 43-101 standards, along with a permitted regional processing facility and future properties under consideration.

The AuCan Gold ecosystem also purchases, manages, vaults, and trades gold through royalty, streaming, and other acquisition programs.

In July, the company announced it was set to launch one of the largest tokenized Canadian gold reserves, alongside the first integrated tokenized gold ecosystem, in partnership with TheBlock., a virtual assets chamber based in Dubai. With strong interest in the initiative, AuCan Gold is preparing to open its securitized token offering. Traditionally, metal assets have offered a safer, more stable investment environment compared to other volatile sectors, and AuCan said blockchain-supported RWA (real world asset) tokens democratize opportunities for global investors and gold enthusiasts to engage with the AuCan Gold ecosystem.

Initially, AuCan said it would tokenize up to 1.5 Moz of gold reserves, supported by NI 43-101 documentation. The initial six resource properties and a regional processing mill are located across over 8,700 hectares in the Timmins region of Ontario, Canada, known as the Abitibi. AuCan is also considering future properties and reserves.

Experts and management said the gold reserves could potentially be much larger, given the nature of the deep gold deposits in the area.

In addition to AuCan Gold’s exploration, production, and milling efforts, the company plans to manage its operations, product development, and HODLing programs through its wholly owned subsidiary in Dubai. AuCan Dubai will oversee the management, purchase, and storage of gold reserves on behalf of the organization and its token holders, creating a diversified portfolio of internally produced and third-party gold sources.

"Real world asset tokenization of Canadian gold assets and physical gold provides global investors, both small and large, with a new and innovative way to participate in the long-term growth of one of the largest gold-producing and geopolitically stable regions in the world," said AuCan President Leon Dadoun. "The AuCan team is well-experienced in all facets of securities, resource management, and blockchain to support the merging of physical and RWA securitized assets."

The tokenization process will be managed by TheBlock., supporting AuCan’s efforts to create two distinct regulatory-approved RWA security tokens. The AuCan Gold token is backed by AuCan’s expanding list of assets, while the AuCan Pro Token will entitle full token holders to 1 ounce of redeemable physical gold at a specified future delivery date, priced below current gold spot market prices at the time of offering.

The AuCan Gold ecosystem extends beyond exploration and potential metal production; it offers the possibility of additional distributions to token holders based on specific returns from projects, programs, holdings, and corporate profits, the company said.

"This is exactly the kind of project we built TheBlock for. Real assets, real innovation, and a clear path to tokenization done right," said TheBlock. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Farbod Sadeghian. "We're excited to support the AuCan Gold ecosystem in bringing one of the largest tokenized gold ecosystems to market, and proud to be the partner helping make it happen."

AuCan Gold and AuCan Pro RWA Tokens are expected to launch in Q4 2025, with the initial offering now open to accredited investors, subject to qualification and jurisdictional securities laws.

The AuCan Gold ecosystem has also partnered with several organizations, including Flashy, to support a unique series of Web3 productions aimed at educating and engaging the growing global community of precious metals investors who view gold as a valuable asset and investment alternative.

Also in July, AuCan announce a pioneering sponsorship with Flashy's gaming division to introduce a new category of entertainment: Play for Gold (P4G) online games. The inaugural P4G game in the series is "Dig It," a viral mobile-native tap game that combines play-to-earn mechanics with the thrill of real-world asset ownership.

In an industry first, players can earn up to CA$10 million in real gold rewards by collecting Nuggets tokens through Dig It and subsequent gold games, including the upcoming AR mobile treasure hunt game, Go For Gold. Nuggets tokens can be converted into gold-backed assets through registered programs, transforming digital achievements into tangible wealth.

Dig It is crafted for the next generation of Web3-native users, designed to be accessible, highly addictive, and built to spread virally across social platforms, streaming hubs, and crypto communities. The experience rewards attention, reflexes, and strategy with high-stakes incentives and financial benefits. Winners will quite literally be able to say they struck gold.

"Gold is now something you can acquire through gaming, rather than just (mining)," said Flashy Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael Gord. “Through Flashy and its sponsorship program with AuCan, we're democratizing access to gold by turning it into a reward for creativity, skill, and participation. This is gamified finance at its most powerful, and fun."