- Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky posted a thread on X arguing that trust will decide which projects succeed in the real-world asset tokenization market.
- He named no tokens or platforms and announced no Airbnb plans.
- The real-world asset tokenization market has grown to roughly $65 billion.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky argued in a public thread on X that real-world asset (RWA) tokenization is coming, and that trust will separate the projects that last from those that fail.
Chesky did not name any specific projects that he believes are building something of real value. He also didn’t drop any hints regarding Airbnb entering the sector.
What did Brian Chesky say about trust?
The CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, posted a thread on X saying he had been watching the real-world asset tokenization market “for a while now.” He dismissed most of the activity in the sector as “noise” but pointed out that something of real value was taking shape beneath it. However, Chesky offered no specifics on what that was.
He described a future of “global, fractional, and instant ownership,” and said that trust would ultimately “separate the winners from the wreckage.”
Industry executives have shared similar thoughts at conferences. Cryptopolitan reported that Bybit’s Global Head of TradFi and Real-World Assets Yoyee Wang told a panel at LEAP East 2026 that the deciding question for institutions is no longer whether blockchain works but whether they can trust the infrastructure underneath it.
Wang argued that regulatory clarity, reliable infrastructure, and close work with financial institutions would determine which platforms are able to attract institutional investments over time.
Notably, Airbnb users sent in 4,000 feature requests back in 2022, and the most requested feature was for crypto payment support. However, Airbnb has never shipped native crypto payments.
How big is the real-world asset tokenization market?
Cryptopolitan reported that tokenized real-world assets are up 44% from roughly $45 billion at the start of the year, reaching about $65 billion. Ethereum holds about a third of that market.
RWA.xyz put distributed real-world asset value at $34.08 billion and counted more than one million asset holders as of mid-July. Institutional products are also responsible for much of the growth. BlackRock’s (NYSE: BLK) tokenized Treasury fund, BUIDL, reached about $2.87 billion across supported networks.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has separately urged governments to move their stock markets onto blockchains. His reasoning, Cryptopolitan reported, is that tokenized shares would allow 24/7 trading, faster settlement, and fractional ownership.
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FAQs
What did Brian Chesky say about tokenization?
Chesky said he had been watching real-world asset tokenization "for a while" and argued it could enable "global, fractional, and instant ownership," summing it up as "the internet made information liquid. This makes ownership liquid."
Did Airbnb announce a crypto or tokenization product?
No. Chesky named no tokens, protocols, or blockchains and announced no concrete Airbnb tokenization initiative, and Airbnb never shipped native crypto payments even after users named it the most-requested feature in 2022.
How big is the tokenized real-world asset market?
Tokenized real-world assets reached about $65 billion by May 2026, up 44% from roughly $45 billion at the start of the year, according to data cited by Cryptopolitan, with Ethereum holding about a third of the market.
Disclaimer. The information provided is not trading advice. Cryptopolitan.com holds no liability for any investments made based on the information provided on this page. We strongly recommend independent research and/or consultation with a qualified professional before making any investment decisions.
Hannah Collymore
Hannah is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of blog writing and event reporting experience in the crypto space. At Cryptopolitan, Hannah contributes to the news page, reporting and analyzing the latest developments in DeFi, RWA, crypto regulation, AI and frontier tech industries. She graduated from Arcadia university with a degree in Business Administration.
