The Next Era of Digital Assets: Stablecoins, RWAs, and the Path to Mass Adoption

A summary of my conversation with Remy Blaire on Fintech TV

The true value proposition of blockchain is that anyone, anywhere, can access high-quality financial assets.

This is the fundamental shift digital assets enable — not just speculation, but real financial inclusion, new market structures, and a more efficient global economy.

I had a great conversation with Remy Blaire on Fintech TV about how we get from here to there — the macro tailwinds driving digital asset adoption, the execution challenges that still remain, and the biggest opportunities ahead for builders and investors.

Macro Tailwinds Are Accelerating Digital Asset Adoption

The conditions for widespread blockchain adoption have never been stronger.

🔹 Regime change in the U.S. is setting the stage for clearer regulations, potentially unlocking institutional capital that has been waiting on the sidelines.

🔹 Bitcoin’s role as a store of value is now widely accepted, reinforcing crypto’s place in global markets.

🔹 The shift toward alternative assets is forcing investors to rethink traditional portfolio allocations, creating more demand for on-chain financial products.

This backdrop presents a clear opportunity — but the biggest question is who is best positioned to execute under these favorable tailwinds.

Stablecoins: The Backbone of Digital Finance

Stablecoins have become the backbone of digital asset markets, processing trillions in transactions and proving their utility in cross-border payments, remittances, and financial infrastructure.

But the next phase of stablecoin adoption isn’t just about growth in market cap — it’s about how they are being built and delivered.

A great example is Mercury portfolio company, Plasma, is a Bitcoin sidechain built for high-speed, zero-fee USD₮ transfers with full EVM compatibility. Anchored to Bitcoin for security, it enables seamless stablecoin transactions, scalable payments, and DeFi applications — positioning itself as the foundation for next-gen digital money movement.

Execution is Everything: The Institutional Adoption Curve

For builders and investors, the real unlock is institutional adoption — but that requires legitimate blockchain technology, regulatory clarity, and real-world utility.

Right now, institutional players are moving from theory to action:

🔹BlackRock, Apollo, and Franklin Templeton are building and investing in tokenized assets. Of particular interest is Apollo’s announcement about their tokenized private credit fund.

🔹Banks and asset managers are exploring blockchain-based settlement networks behind the scenes.

🔹Large enterprises are testing stablecoins for treasury management — an early signal of corporate adoption.

We’re reaching the point where blockchain is the infrastructure play, not just an alternative asset class.

The true value proposition of blockchain is that anyone, anywhere, can access high-quality financial assets.

RWAs: Tokenization is Becoming a Reality

The tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) is no longer just a concept — it’s happening now.

🔹 Private credit and treasuries are already moving on-chain because they’re better in tokenized form — more liquid, more efficient, and more accessible.

🔹 High-quality institutional products are being democratized — what was once limited to a small group of investors is now opening up to global markets.

We’re backing some of the most exciting companies in the space — Brassica Fintech, who sold to Bitgo in 2024, and soon-to-be-launched Profitr, who is bringing institutional grade US dollar-denominated credit products to a global audience.

These teams understand that execution is what will define the next wave of adoption. The real opportunity isn’t just tokenization — it’s building the right products, with the right distribution, to the right users.

What Happens Next?

The rails are being built. The institutions are coming in. But the real question is: Who will execute best? Who will scale? Who will integrate into the broader financial system first?

The next cycle will be won by builders who can deliver real utility and seamless experiences — not just whitepapers and speculation. The foundation is set — now it’s all about execution.