Tokenized Commodities Break Barriers: The Market Reaches $6.1 Billion in Historic Rise

The tokenized commodities market has just reached a significant milestone: $6.1 billion in total value, marking explosive growth of 53% in less than six weeks. What makes this phenomenon so remarkable is that tokenized commodities have become the fastest-growing segment within the real-world asset (RWA) tokenized universe, surpassing tokenized stocks and funds in their race for chain adoption.

At the start of 2026, the market was just around $4 billion. The injection of an additional $2 billion represents an accelerated transformation driven by a particular catalyst: the resurgence of gold as a safe-haven asset in traditional markets.

Gold Dominates Unchallenged in the Commodities Segment

The overwhelming majority of growth in tokenized commodities comes from a single sector: blockchain-backed gold products, which now account for more than 95% of the total market. Two institutional players lead this expansion without question.

Tether Gold (XAUt) from Tether has been the main driver of growth in tokenized commodities. Its market capitalization is valued at $2.66 billion, reflecting investor confidence in the tokenization of precious metals. Similarly, PAX Gold (PAXG) issued by Paxos maintains a market value of $2.36 billion, both demonstrating institutional appetite for on-chain exposure to physical gold.

Historically, tokenized commodities are operating 360% above their levels from the previous year, highlighting the exponential nature of adoption. This performance far exceeds that of tokenized stocks (which have gained 42%) and tokenized funds (just 3.6%), positioning commodities as the most dynamic RWA category in the current cycle.

Tether Deepens Its Strategy in Tokenized Gold

The company has taken strategic steps to consolidate its position in commodities. Tether recently acquired a $150 million stake in Gold.com, a platform specializing in precious metals. This move aims to integrate XAUt into the Gold.com ecosystem and explore channels that allow users to buy physical gold directly using USDT.

The maneuver reflects a medium-term vision: tokenized commodities are not just speculative vehicles but bridges between traditional markets and the decentralized economy.

Commodities Outperform Bitcoin in Price Dynamics

While gold is soaring unprecedentedly—reaching historic highs near $5,600 in January before retreating to $5,050—Bitcoin faces a completely different context. The king of cryptocurrencies has experienced severe volatility: falling from a peak of $126,080 in October to around $60,000, then recovering to $67,990 as of February 22.

This divergence has reignited crucial debates about Bitcoin’s role as a safe-haven asset. Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, argues that markets still perceive Bitcoin more as a high-growth software stock than as a store of value. Grayscale asset manager agrees, noting that the narrative of Bitcoin as “digital gold” has been questioned as its price patterns increasingly mirror those of pure risk assets.

The contrast underscores a key phenomenon: tokenized commodities, especially on-chain gold, emerge as the main beneficiaries of RWA adoption during this cycle. Investors are systematically seeking decentralized exposure to proven safe-haven assets, and tokenized commodities meet that demand more effectively than competing narratives.