Tokenization of Real-World Assets: Where Research Meets Regulatory Reality in 2026

The tokenization of real-world assets is no longer a theoretical framework. It is an active area of regulatory development — and the research gap between technological capability and legal infrastructure has never been wider.

At IRAIET, our opening research priority reflects this urgency.

According to the Bank for International Settlements, the global value of tokenized assets could reach $16 trillion by 2030. The IMF's 2025 working papers on digital asset frameworks identify tokenization of real-world assets as one of the three most consequential developments in financial infrastructure this decade. Yet the legal architecture — ownership rights, enforcement mechanisms, cross-border recognition — remains fragmented across jurisdictions.

Our research agenda at IRAIET addresses three specific questions that existing frameworks leave unanswered:

→ How do traditional property rights translate when ownership is encoded on-chain? → What liability frameworks apply when tokenized asset transfers cross jurisdictions with conflicting legal standards? → How should intellectual property rights be structured within tokenized asset systems — particularly for IP-backed RWA?

These are not academic questions. They are the questions that regulators, legal practitioners, and institutional investors are asking right now — without consistent answers.

IRAIET exists to develop those answers through independent, interdisciplinary research.

We welcome collaboration from researchers, legal professionals, policymakers, and industry practitioners working at the intersection of digital assets, IP, and emerging regulatory frameworks.