Mercado Bitcoin Partners Polygon Labs to Tokenize $200M in Real-World Assets

Mercado Bitcoin, a leading cryptocurrency exchange in Latin America, has formed a strategic partnership with Polygon Labs to accelerate the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) in the region. This collaboration aims to bring over $200 million in assets on-chain this year, significantly expanding access to previously illiquid assets such as private credit for a broader audience.

By integrating Polygon’s blockchain network, Mercado Bitcoin will enhance its tokenization process, reducing transaction costs and improving settlement times. This move positions Mercado Bitcoin as a technological and financial leader, not only in Latin America but also on a global scale. Fabrício Tota, Mercado Bitcoin’s vice president of new business, highlighted the benefits of the Polygon network, stating that it enables fast and affordable transactions, which is crucial for financial innovation.

Through its asset tokenization unit, MB Tokens, Mercado Bitcoin has already issued over 340 tokenized products, totaling approximately $180 million. These products include tokenized private credit, fixed-income instruments, and revenue-sharing products. The partnership with Polygon Labs is expected to more than double the current total of tokenized assets, further democratizing access to these financial instruments.

The trend of RWA tokenization is gaining momentum, with other companies also entering the space. Earlier this month, Securitize, a RWA tokenization company, partnered with RedStone, a DeFi-focused oracle provider, to enhance the utility of its tokenized products. This collaboration aims to integrate Securitize’s tokenized assets into decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, providing greater liquidity and accessibility.

In February, Taurus, a digital asset infrastructure firm backed by Deutsche Bank, launched an enterprise-grade custody and tokenization platform, Taurus-Capital, on the Solana blockchain. This platform enables banks and issuers to custody and stake any Solana-native tokenized assets, further expanding the reach of tokenized financial instruments.

In November 2024, Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, launched an RWA tokenization platform called “Hadron.” This platform allows corporations, asset managers, and nation-states to issue and manage digital asset tokens for real-world financial instruments, further driving the adoption of tokenized assets.

As Mercado Bitcoin moves forward with its plans to tokenize over $200 million in real-world assets through Polygon, Latin America’s approach to liquidity and asset management may evolve significantly. Tokenization not only reduces transaction costs but also alters how assets are structured and exchanged. This raises the question of whether tokenized assets will become commonplace for investors in the region, rather than exceptions to traditional investment strategies.

As tokenization expands, existing financial institutions face increasing pressure to adapt. Mercado Bitcoin’s recent initiative could serve as an indicator of broader changes to come in the region’s financial sector, paving the way for greater financial inclusion and innovation.