Unlocking Real-World Value: Vision for Tokenized Asset Investing

In a financial ecosystem long plagued by opacity and exclusivity, Damodar Bihani, investor at Delta Blockchain Fund, is championing a transformative shift—one where real-world assets (RWAs) such as real estate, fine art, and private equity are no longer the preserve of the few, but become programmable, globally accessible tokens on the blockchain.

“The next wave of blockchain innovation isn’t about meme coins or speculative DeFi,” Bihani says. “It’s about bridging the $600 trillion worth of real-world value into systems that are composable, transparent, and accessible. That’s where blockchain creates lasting impact.”

Bihani’s journey into crypto began with stablecoins—drawn in by their speed and cost-efficiency in cross-border transfers. That practical interest soon evolved into a deep conviction: blockchain infrastructure could overhaul global finance. At Delta Blockchain Fund, known for backing Web3 and infrastructure startups, Bihani focuses on ventures building scalable, compliant tokenization frameworks. He’s particularly drawn to platforms that fractionalize illiquid assets and enable seamless on-chain trading.

Though tokenization efforts date back to 2017, Bihani believes now is different. “The tooling is better—compliance layers, digital identity, and on-chain settlement protocols have matured,” he notes. “And institutional investors are demanding yield, transparency, and access.”

He highlights hybrid platforms as key enablers—those that marry smart contract capabilities with off-chain systems for metadata processing, regulatory integration, and identity verification. This hybrid thinking was also central to Bihani’s 2024 co-authored paper, Building Scalable Blockchain Applications, which proposes combining Solidity smart contracts with AWS Lambda for scalable, event-driven processing. “You need immutable ledgers, yes—but also dynamic, cloud-native systems that interact with the real world,” he explains.

Bihani’s investment thesis rests on three pillars: infrastructure, liquidity, and compliance. He supports tools that abstract smart contract complexity, marketplaces enabling secondary trading, and programmable compliance solutions. “Tokenization doesn’t work without trust,” he says. “And trust in the real world is built on identity, legal enforceability, and reputation.”

He points to tokenized U.S. Treasury bills and private credit products now trading on-chain with billions in volume as proof of concept. “Institutional capital isn’t scared of crypto anymore. They want risk-adjusted returns and auditability. Tokenized RWAs offer both—plus 24/7 liquidity.”

For Bihani, the future hinges on composability and regulatory clarity. “The moment tokenized assets plug into DeFi protocols, the flywheel starts,” he says. Though legal ambiguity and fragmented jurisdictions remain barriers, he sees parallels with the internet’s early growth. “Blockchain is moving from dial-up to broadband.”

Ultimately, Bihani sees tokenization as a democratizing force. “It’s not just about how assets are traded—it’s about who gets to own them.”