Tokenized Equities May Not Benefit Ethereum If Institutions Use Private Blockchains, Dragonfly’s Rob Hadick Says

• Key point 1: Institutions prefer private L1/L2s to control execution, privacy and economics.

• Key point 2: Private or hybrid chains may reduce onchain value flow back to general-purpose networks.

• Key point 3: Real-world asset tokenization is nascent — roughly $735M onchain, per RWA.xyz data.

Meta description: Tokenized equities offer 24/7 trading but private blockchains may limit crypto benefits. Read expert insight from Dragonfly’s Rob Hadick. Learn more.

What are tokenized equities and how will they affect crypto networks?

Tokenized equities are digital representations of traditional stocks on blockchains that enable continuous trading and programmable settlement. They can improve TradFi efficiencies but may not automatically benefit public blockchains if institutions deploy private or permissioned L1/L2 networks that keep economics and execution control in-house.

How do private blockchains and institutional L1/L2s change value flow?

When institutions run private or permissioned chains, they retain fee revenue and validator selection, which creates “leakage” — value that would otherwise accrue to public-chain fees and token ecosystems. At TOKEN 2049 in Singapore, Rob Hadick (Dragonfly) explained institutions want to control privacy, execution and who validates transactions to avoid sharing block space with retail-focused activity.

Rob Hadick speaking to Cointelegraph at TOKEN 2049. Source: Andrew Fenton/Cointelegraph

Why might tokenized stocks be less beneficial for major public chains?

Institutions often avoid general-purpose chains because they do not want to share economics or block space with memecoins, and they require stricter privacy and governance. Hybrid approaches exist — chains that can operate permissioned today and permissionless later — but if primary trading stays on institution-controlled rails, public chains may see limited fee and liquidity gains.

What is the SEC’s role in tokenized equities adoption?

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly evaluating frameworks to permit blockchain representations of stocks to trade on crypto platforms. Several issuers and exchanges, including VanEck and the New York Stock Exchange, have discussed tokenized equities with the SEC. Regulatory clarity could enable more mainstream tokenization, but institutions’ technical choices will determine where value accrues.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much of RWA tokenization is tokenized stocks right now?

Tokenized stocks remain a small portion of real-world asset tokenization. RWA.xyz reports roughly $735 million onchain for tokenized stocks, representing about 2.3% of total onchain RWA value.

Do hybrid chains solve leakage to private networks?

Hybrid chains offer a compromise: permissioned operation with the technical option to open later. They can mitigate some leakage, but governance and economics ultimately determine whether value flows to public ecosystems.

Key Takeaways

• Institutions control rails: Private L1/L2s let institutions guard privacy, validators and revenue.
• Public-chain gains are not guaranteed: Tokenized equities do not automatically enrich general-purpose networks.
• Regulation and design matter: SEC frameworks and institutional architecture will shape where economic value accrues.

Conclusion

Tokenized equities promise operational gains for TradFi through 24/7 trading and programmable settlement. Yet, institutional preference for private blockchains and controlled L1/L2s could limit the upside for public networks like Ethereum. Stakeholders should watch regulatory guidance and institutional architecture as they determine onchain economic flows.