Binance founder CZ says ‘tokenize everything’ to attract investors

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said on Aug. 21 that countries could use tokenization to raise capital and attract foreign direct investment by offering digital representations of assets to global investors.

“Let’s tokenize everything,” CZ wrote in an X post. He argued that countries and companies have an incentive to sell tokenized shares to investors worldwide.

CZ also backed issuing tokenized assets across every blockchain rather than selecting a single network. He acknowledged that this approach would create fragmented liquidity but said parallel development would be the fastest way to expand the sector.

His comments represented a policy and industry view, not a formal investment initiative from Binance, BNB Chain or any government. CZ did not identify countries preparing tokenized share offerings or provide a timeline for their launch.

Tokenization does not automatically create FDI

Tokenization converts ownership rights or economic claims into blockchain based units. Governments and companies can apply the model to shares, bonds, funds, commodities, property or other assets.

A token can broaden distribution by making an asset accessible through digital platforms. However, access does not guarantee new investment, liquidity or legal recognition across borders. Issuers must still address securities laws, custody, investor verification, disclosures and ownership rights.

CZ described tokenization as one of the best methods for attracting foreign direct investment. Under the OECD’s formal definition, FDI generally involves a foreign investor establishing a lasting interest and owning at least 10% of an enterprise’s voting power.

Smaller purchases of tokenized shares may instead qualify as portfolio investment. Whether a token sale counts as FDI therefore depends on the investor’s residence, voting rights, ownership level and relationship with the issuing company.

CZ supports growth across competing blockchains

CZ said issuing assets on multiple networks would allow more teams to develop tokenization infrastructure simultaneously. This could increase distribution but divide trading activity and capital between separate markets.

Liquidity fragmentation can produce different prices, wider spreads and shallower order books for representations of the same asset. Bridges and separate issuers can also introduce technical, custody and counterparty risks.

CZ said high interchangeability between issuers could address some of that fragmentation. Such compatibility would require consistent redemption rights, backing arrangements, settlement processes and legal claims. He did not propose a specific technical standard.

Existing projects are already expanding tokenized securities across several networks. As previously reported, Ondo developed infrastructure that moves tokenized stocks between supported blockchain markets while maintaining backing for transferred assets.

In related coverage, tokenized U.S. stocks were also extended into Hyperliquid’s blockchain trading environment, showing how issuers are seeking liquidity across multiple ecosystems.

BNB Chain reports rapid growth in RWA holders

CZ’s comments followed a BNB Chain statement that the network had reached approximately 776,000 holders of tokenized real world assets, up about 370% over 30 days.

RWA.xyz data recorded 776,428 RWA holders as of Aug. 19, an increase of 368.51% over the preceding 30 days. The platform listed $5.8 billion in distributed asset value and 1,284 assets.

The figures include categories selected by the data provider and should not be treated as proof of foreign investment or demand for tokenized national assets. A blockchain address also does not necessarily represent one individual investor.

BNB Chain’s recent growth includes institutional products. As crypto.news previously reported, the network secured 61.7% of assets on Franklin Templeton’s Benji platform, representing about $1.5 billion at the time.

Tokenized shares would remain subject to the laws governing their underlying securities. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said in a January statement that stocks, bonds and other securities do not lose their legal status when represented through crypto networks.

CZ did not announce a product, regulatory application or launch deadline. The next developments would depend on issuers, governments and regulators establishing structures that define ownership, transfers, disclosures and cross border investor access.