Binance Research: Tokenized Rwas Grow 50% To $34B In H1 2026

Binance Research, the market research arm of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has released its latest report, “Half-Year 2026: On-Chain Markets.”  The report examines the first half of 2026 across the protocol layer, tokenized RWAs, prediction markets and decentralized finance, documenting where on-chain activity contracted and where new market structure took hold.

While the findings reflect global market developments, they also offer valuable insights for Kenya’s rapidly evolving digital asset ecosystem. We spoke with Larry Cooke from Binance Africa to unpack the innovations shaping the future of financial markets and what they could mean for the country’s digital economy.

Q: Why is this report relevant to Kenya?

A: Kenya is one of Africa’s leading digital finance markets with strong adoption of digital payments and growing interest in digital assets. The report’s findings on tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), on-chain markets and blockchain infrastructure highlight where the global industry is headed and offer valuable insights as Kenya continues developing its digital asset regulatory framework.

Q: What does the Binance Research report say about the next phase of on-chain market development?

A: In the report the Binance Research notes: “The next phase will depend on whether secondary liquidity and collateral mobility develop as quickly as primary issuance.”

Q: What happened with prediction market volume in H1 2026?

A: Prediction market volume rose 86 percent from $27.7B in January to $51.6B in June, driven largely by World Cup activity. Kalshi and Polymarket accounted for 92 percent of June’s volume while non-sports markets grew 136 percent YTD, indicating broader adoption beyond sports.

Q: How much did the tokenized RWA market grow and what does Binance Research project for its future?

A: Tokenized RWAs grew by more than 50 per cent, increasing from approximately $22B in January to $34B by mid-July. Tokenized stocks and private equity led this growth, rising 177 per cent and 164 per cent YTD respectively. Binance Research projects the market could reach $661B in its base case and $1.6T in a bull case.

Q: What opportunities do tokenized real-world assets present for Kenya?

A: While the report examines global trends, the rapid growth of tokenized RWAs demonstrates the increasing demand for blockchain-based representations of traditional financial assets. For markets like Kenya, tokenization has the potential to expand access to investment opportunities, improve market efficiency and support greater financial inclusion over time. As regulatory frameworks mature, tokenization will become an important part of Africa’s digital financial ecosystem.

Q: What did the report find about crypto losses, hacks, and exploits?

A: Total crypto losses fell from $2.3B to $972M in H1 2026, despite hacks and exploits increasing from 83 to 207. Nearly 60 percent of losses were linked to two operational failures, suggesting that while attacks are becoming more frequent, their financial impact is increasingly concentrated.

 Q: What is the main takeaway from Binance Research’s H1 2026 On-Chain Markets report?

A: The report shows that while parts of the on-chain ecosystem experienced slower growth during the first half of 2026, several areas continued to mature rapidly. Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) grew by more than 50 percent to approximately $34 billion, prediction market activity surged and BNB Chain emerged as the leading blockchain for tokenized equity trading. Overall, the findings suggest that on-chain markets are becoming more sophisticated with innovation increasingly focused on real-world use cases.

For Kenya, these global developments reinforce the importance of responsible innovation, collaboration and the continued development of a well-regulated digital asset ecosystem. Binance remains committed to supporting education, engaging constructively with industry stakeholders and advancing the responsible adoption of blockchain technology across Kenya and the wider African continent. The full report, “Half-Year 2026: On-Chain Markets,” is now available on Binance Research.