RWAs are the hottest narrative in Web3, and Polytrade is emerging as a frontrunner in this space. In a recent conversation with Scott Melker AKA Wolf of All Streets and Mario Nawfal on Crypto Townhall, Polytrade’s founder, Piyush Gupta, delved into the journey, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead for RWAs. With over four years of experience and a bold vision, Polytrade is positioning itself as the aggregator and marketplace for tokenized assets. Here’s an in-depth look into the conversation.
What is Polytrade and Why Does it Matter?
Polytrade is at the forefront of a transformative shift in the blockchain space, bridging real-world assets to web3. PG started Polytrade in 2021 with a vision to address a glaring gap: while tokenization was growing rapidly, there was no unified marketplace for RWAs.
Think of Polytrade as the OpenSea for RWAs, but instead of NFTs, the marketplace hosts tokenized assets like real estate, private credit, treasury bills, gold, collectibles, and more. With over 7,000 assets across 50 protocols and 11 blockchains, Polytrade aims to simplify access for retail investors and institutions alike.
“Everybody was tokenizing, but there was no distribution whatsoever. Polytrade has stepped in to create the largest aggregated marketplace for tokenized assets.”
The Growing Momentum in RWA Adoption
The RWA space saw a surge in awareness after BlackRock’s recent moves. But according to PG, this is just the beginning. While the last year focused heavily on building supply, 2025 is all about distribution.
A key element of this strategy is AI-powered asset distribution. Polytrade is building an AI agent network to simplify RWA access by providing critical information about each asset—its value, tokenization process, and redemption mechanics. This education-first approach aims to demystify RWAs and encourage broader retail adoption.
“Education is currently absent from the retail space. With our AI agents, we’ll make these assets understandable and accessible.”
What Types of Assets are Being Tokenized?
Polytrade’s marketplace features a wide variety of tokenized assets, showcasing the versatility of blockchain:
- Real Estate: Tokenized apartments, commercial properties, and more.
- Private Credit: Partnerships with protocols like Centrifuge and Maple Finance.
- Treasury Bills: Ondo Finance’s tokenized U.S. treasuries.
- Commodities: Tokenized gold and silver by major players like Paxos.
- Innovative Assets: Bitcoin mining, EV infrastructure, solar power, and even tokenized collectibles like Pokémon cards and luxury watches.
“We believe many more asset classes we use in daily life will soon be available on blockchain.”
Breaking Barriers to Retail Adoption
One of the biggest hurdles for RWAs is education and trust. Retail investors often struggle to understand the nuances of tokenized assets. Questions like, “Who is the custodian?” or “How can I redeem this asset?” remain unanswered.
Polytrade is tackling these barriers by focusing on:
- Transparency: Bringing detailed asset information on-chain.
- Distribution: Leveraging AI to reach Web2 and Web3 audiences.
- Accessibility: Streamlining the buying and selling process for retail users.
“Adoption will only happen when a retailer understands what they are buying.”
Collaborating with Institutional Giants
Polytrade’s collaboration with MasterCard is a standout success story. As part of MasterCard’s cohort, Polytrade developed a decentralized app (dApp) for institutional partners to tokenize and list assets on its marketplace. This partnership has enabled Polytrade to present its solutions to banks globally, driving institutional adoption of tokenized assets.
“MasterCard is targeting the institutional side of the play, and we’re proud to work with them to enable asset tokenization for their partner banks.”
The TRADE Token: Powering the Marketplace
At the heart of Polytrade’s ecosystem is its native token, $TRADE. Designed to capture and grow protocol value, $TRADE is more than just a utility token—it’s a critical part of Polytrade’s incentive structure.
- Buybacks: Profits from the marketplace are used to buy back $TRADE tokens, benefiting the community.
- Utility: $TRADE holders receive discounts on transactions and can participate in staking and insurance pools.
“We’ve already conducted three buybacks, with profits going back to the community.”
A Vision for the Future
As the RWA space matures, Polytrade is focusing on distribution, transparency, and retail accessibility. With innovative tools, strong institutional partnerships, and a diverse marketplace, Polytrade is setting the stage for RWAs to explode in adoption.
“We are becoming the master distributor of tokenized assets. 2025 will be the year we see retail adoption take off.”
How to Get Started with Polytrade?
Ready to explore the world of tokenized RWAs? Check out the Polytrade marketplace at market.polytrade.app and follow our updates on Twitter at @polytrade_fin.
As Scott summed it up, RWAs are poised to be the biggest narrative of this cycle, and Polytrade is leading the charge. With an ambitious vision and a robust marketplace, the future looks bright for tokenized real-world assets.