Stellar, a blockchain network focused on facilitating cross-border payments and asset tokenization, has become a leading platform for tokenized real-world assets. The total reported value of tokenized assets on Stellar has reached approximately $3.5 billion. Despite this growth, XRP maintains a market capitalization almost 13 times greater than Stellar’s native XLM token, underlining a persistent imbalance between tokenization adoption and crypto valuations.
Stellar’s rising tokenization volumes
As of October 13, market data from CoinCodex showed XRP’s market capitalization at around $84.65 billion, while XLM trailed significantly at about $6.67 billion. This 12.7-fold difference persists even as Stellar’s institutional tokenization offerings continue to expand.
Recent estimates place the value of tokenized assets on Stellar near $3.5 billion, and, depending on the reporting methodology, this figure can be even higher—up to $4 billion according to Stellar’s own records in early September. Comparatively, the XRP Ledger (XRPL) is estimated to host approximately $2.5 billion in tokenized real-world and financial assets under one broad reporting standard. However, specific rankings may vary based on whether they include certain stablecoins or financial products.
Stellar’s asset tokenization growth is largely supported by institutional products such as Franklin Templeton’s BENJI fund and other financial instruments. The BENJI fund, tokenized and issued on Stellar, held about $605 million as of October 6. Another project, Spiko, accounts for $1.7 billion through tokenized money-market products.
These assets are structured as investment products, granting investors digital shares backed by underlying securities such as government bonds or money-market funds. Blockchain technology powers the issuance, recordkeeping, and settlement of these tokenized shares, delivering efficiency gains for institutional investors and fund managers.
Mini dictionary: Franklin Templeton is a global asset management firm that has issued tokenized money-market funds on blockchain platforms such as Stellar, allowing for digital shares in regulated investment products.
Tokenization versus native token valuation
The growth of tokenized assets does not necessarily translate into increased demand for a blockchain’s native cryptocurrency. When institutions invest in tokenized Treasury funds on Stellar, their money is allocated directly into underlying traditional assets, such as US Treasury securities. While the process requires a minimal amount of XLM for transaction fees and account reserves, these costs are relatively low and do not result in major demand for XLM itself.
A similar dynamic is present on the XRP Ledger. Even as institutional usage and tokenization of securities or stablecoins has increased, these activities do not automatically require counterparties to accumulate large holdings of XRP. Most institutional flows are directed toward the underlying assets, bypassing the need for substantial native coin exposure.
During the past year, Treasury tokenization volumes on the XRP Ledger grew significantly, rising from $50 million to approximately $418.5 million. However, this notable growth in tokenized assets has only a limited direct impact on XRP’s price, since institutional demand is insulated from speculative or retail-driven trading of the token.
XRP’s unique demand sources
Unlike Stellar’s tokenized products, some institutional vehicles specifically aim to give investors direct exposure to XRP as an asset. For example, Evernorth recently secured a Nasdaq listing for a public treasury product holding 473 million XRP. Furthermore, U.S.-listed spot XRP ETFs increasingly provide additional channels for institutional or retail investors to gain direct exposure to the cryptocurrency.
These investment products differ fundamentally from tokenized Treasury funds or money-market products because their value proposition centers on XRP itself, rather than stablecoins or external securities. As a result, they contribute to market demand for XRP more directly than the tokenization models adopted by Stellar partners.
| Metric | Stellar (XLM) | XRP Ledger (XRP) |
|---|---|---|
| Market capitalization | $6.67 billion | $84.65 billion |
| Tokenized assets value | $3.5–$4 billion | ~$2.5 billion |
| Main tokenization products | Money market, Treasury funds | Treasury, ETFs, public treasury XRP holdings |
XRP’s valuation remains significantly higher than Stellar’s XLM, despite the fact that Stellar now leads in total value of tokenized real-world assets. The disconnect between native token prices and blockchain adoption continues as both networks pursue different strategies to attract institutional flows.
