The Reserve Bank of Australia has thrown its weight behind the real-world asset tokenization sector, citing projections that it could contribute 24 billion Australian dollars, or approximately $16.7 billion, to the national economy each year. The central bank’s assistant governor, Brad Jones, shared these findings on Wednesday as part of an update on Project Acacia, the RBA’s collaborative research initiative. Jones described tokenized finance and related infrastructure upgrades as potentially “revolutionary,” according to advocates of the technology.
Jones noted that the projected economic gains could grow even larger if new markets emerged as a result of tokenization. Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company has separately forecast that the total value of tokenized assets worldwide could approach $2 trillion by 2030. In November, the head of Australia’s securities regulator, Joe Longo, urged the country to “seize the opportunity” presented by the sector or risk falling behind international competitors.
Project Acacia is a joint research effort run by the RBA in partnership with the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre and various industry groups. The initiative was built on an earlier central bank digital currency pilot program and examined whether tokenized assets could improve the functioning of Australia’s wholesale financial markets. Its findings are now informing the central bank’s broader strategy for digital financial infrastructure.
As a next step, Jones announced that the RBA intends to partner with government agencies and industry groups to explore a new digital financial market infrastructure sandbox, referred to as a DFMI sandbox. He said the initiative would allow both industry participants and policymakers to build on the lessons learned through Project Acacia. The sandbox could also be linked to a central bank digital currency, providing a longer-term, stage-gated environment for testing and scaling tokenized money, assets, and new infrastructure.
Jones concluded his remarks by framing the effort as a strategic priority for the RBA, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that Australia’s payments, monetary, and financial infrastructure arrangements remain fit for purpose in an increasingly digital age. The comments signal a clear institutional commitment to advancing the country’s position in the evolving tokenization landscape. Policymakers appear keen to move from research and experimentation toward practical implementation.
The broader RWA sector has seen considerable momentum globally. According to data from RWA.xyz, the total on-chain value of real-world assets reached a record high of $27.5 billion last week, a figure that excludes stablecoins. The sector has surged by 234% over the past 12 months, a notable expansion that has occurred even against the backdrop of a wider crypto asset bear market.
Originally reported by CoinTelegraph.
