Large financial institutions are turning to tokenization to improve capital efficiency and liquidity, according to Franklin Templeton and head of BNP Paribas.
During a panel at the WAIB Summit 2026 in Monaco, industry executives discussed how tokenized assets and stablecoins can modernize Europe’s capital markets by simplifying payments, improving collateral portability, and creating new opportunities for cross-border financial activities.
Rafael Mastroberardino, head of digital asset partnerships development at investment manager Franklin Templeton, said tokenization gives institutions more “choice and flexibility”, sparking interest from banks and large corporations to launch their own services.
Julien Clausse, head of tokenization platforms at BNP Paribas CIB, said blockchain’s ability to host multiple assets on the same chain could open up new institutional use cases if these assets can interact with each other.
Institutional interest in tokenization has accelerated in recent months. Some of the largest U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, are reportedly planning tokenized deposit networks for launch in the first half of 2027. This seeks to keep deposits within regulated banking channels while providing the speed and programmability associated with blockchain-based assets.
Executives discuss stablecoins and tokenized assets at the WAIB Summit 2026 panel in Monaco. Photo: Cointelegraph
Wall Street is accelerating tokenization.
On March 18, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved Nasdaq’s pilot proposal to support trading tokenized versions of bulk stocks and securities.
A few days later, on March 24, the New York Stock Exchange partnered with tokenization platform Securitize to develop a blockchain-based trading infrastructure for Wall Street, including tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds.
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The plan forms part of parent company Intercontinental Exchange’s plans for a tokenized securities venue featuring 24/7 trading, instant settlement, stablecoin-based financing and on-chain settlement.
This sector has also attracted significant investment. Digital Asset Holdings on Thursday raised $355 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s cryptocurrency arm. The deal reportedly values the company at about $2 billion. The capital will be used to scale the Canton Network, a platform designed to enable financial institutions to tokenize and settle traditional securities while keeping sensitive data private.
Canton has already been piloted by institutions including Goldman Sachs, BNY Mellon, BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, Société Générale and Deutsche Börse.
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