Tokenized RWA News: Bahrain-Regulated Crypto Exchange Enters $1B Tokenized Gold Market

Bahrain-regulated crypto exchange launches $1 billion tokenized gold market as RWA interest grows

Gold-backed tokens have seen an uptick in activity recently as gold prices have reached record levels.

Christian Sandor, AI Boost | Edited by Steven Alpher , 11 Mar 2025 18:08 UTC

What you need to consider:

• ATME, a Bahrain-based digital exchange, has introduced its first tokenized real-world asset, starting with gold-backed tokens.
• Each token is equivalent to one kilogram of gold and can be traded on the ATME secondary market or exchanged for physical gold.
• The tokenized gold market is valued at approximately $1.2 billion, and ATME plans to expand its offering to include other asset classes.

ATME, a digital asset exchange licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), announced on Tuesday that it has completed its first issuance of tokenized real assets (RWAs), starting with gold-backed tokens.

According to the press release, the tokens available to accredited investors represent one kilogram of gold, which is stored securely. Investors can trade these digital assets on the ATME secondary market or exchange them for physical gold. The initiative aims to modernize the gold ownership process by eliminating the hassles of storage and transportation, and using blockchain to improve efficiency and security.

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Read more: Tokenization facilitates more efficient collateral transfers, digital assets, Euroclear and World Gold Council participate in pilot program

“By combining the immutable value of gold with blockchain technology, we are providing investors with new opportunities to access and trade valuable assets,” said Alex Lola, CEO of ATME, in a statement.

The exchange has announced plans to expand its offerings to include other asset classes, which will further integrate blockchain into traditional financial systems.

ATME’s tokenized gold offering is part of a broader trend in financial markets where real-world assets like commodities, bonds, and funds are increasingly being digitized and traded on blockchain platforms, a process known as tokenization. The tokenized gold market is valued at around $1.2 billion, dominated by Paxos’s PAXG token and stablecoin issuer Tether’s XAUT token, according to data from rwa.xyz. Global bank HSBC also introduced a gold token in Hong Kong for retail investors last year, marking the start of broader adoption.

Gold-backed token activity has increased in recent months as gold prices hit new records amid a weaker dollar, rising trade war concerns and geopolitical instability.

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