Tokenized real estate is rapidly evolving from experimental niche to essential infrastructure.
A recent report by Deloitte suggests that the tokenized real estate market could reach $4 trillion by 2035. While this figure is significant, it still only represents a small fraction of the massive $658 trillion global real estate industry.
The concept behind tokenizing real estate is straightforward: blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize how ownership is recorded, assets are accessed, and capital flows within markets. Real estate is one of the most tangible assets, and witnessing tokenization reshape the world’s largest asset class is truly groundbreaking.
In order to understand the requirements for enabling this transformation, I had a conversation with Teddy Pornprinya, the co-founder of Plume Network. Plume is focused on developing the infrastructure necessary to make tokenized real estate, as well as other real-world assets, scalable, compliant, and accessible.
During our discussion, Pornprinya addresses the challenges related to cross-chain interoperability, regulatory complexities, and user trust, while also explaining how Plume is catering to both institutional adoption and retail access. Here is our full Q&A.
crypto.news: Deloitte’s report predicts that $4 trillion worth of real estate will be tokenized by 2035, which is just a decade away. Is Plume’s infrastructure equipped to handle such a level of asset tokenization? Can you elaborate on some of the technical obstacles (such as latency, network capacity, throughput) you are facing and how you plan to overcome them to establish an institutional-grade platform at such volumes?
Teddy Pornprinya: The scale of tokenization falls under our Plume Arc initiative. To support such volumes, we have developed compliance-first infrastructure that directly integrates with licensed partners for compliance and on/off-chain workflows. These integrations provide us with jurisdictional flexibility, ensuring that assets are onboarded in a compliant manner regardless of their origin. The tokenization process is managed through a workflow engine that simplifies asset onboarding for teams unfamiliar with on-chain processes. On the infrastructure side, we have already onboarded institutional-grade products like BlackRock, Blackstone, and Pimco REITs through our Nest application. We are also actively collaborating with institutional partners in New York, including Apollo. Our infrastructure is already supporting tokenized institutional assets, and we are confident in its ability to scale as demand increases.
crypto.news: Deloitte categorizes the tokenized real estate market into three segments: private real estate funds, tokenized loans/securitizations, and tokenized undeveloped projects. Which of these areas is Plume Networks focusing on initially, and how does this choice shape your product roadmap for the upcoming years? Do you plan to eventually cover all these segments (or even expand to other asset classes), and if so, how will you sequence these expansions?
Teddy Pornprinya: We are designed to support a wide range of real-world assets, including private real estate funds, tokenized loans, securitizations, and more speculative or underdeveloped assets. The flexibility of our system allows us to work with projects at any stage of development—from inception to full market readiness. For example, we assisted a private equity fund in Texas in tokenizing its mineral assets, which is a segment that is traditionally offline. For more established players, we focus on expanding distribution. Our model is comprehensive: we facilitate token creation, compliance, and access to liquidity and market presence.
crypto.news: As more real-world assets are tokenized, Deloitte emphasizes the importance of “achieving interoperability across protocols.” How will Plume Networks enable cross-chain interoperability for tokenized assets, and do you intend for your platform to be blockchain-agnostic so that tokens can freely move and trade across different networks?
Teddy Pornprinya: Yes, our approach is to ensure that Plume is blockchain-agnostic. Our Skylink product, developed in collaboration with LayerZero, allows us to originate yield and assets on Plume and create representations of those assets on other chains such as Solana, Sui, and Injective. With Skylink, users on other blockchains do not need to directly interact with Plume or use complex bridges. They can simply deposit stablecoins into local vaults, and we handle the backend processes that bridge funds to Plume, manage tokenization, and eventually redeem assets back to the user’s chain. This seamless omnichain Real World Asset (RWA) experience unlocks new possibilities across fragmented blockchain ecosystems.
crypto.news: There have been discussions about new on-chain structures like real estate trust deeds that hold property in a neutral third-party trust until a debt is repaid, effectively embedding legal contracts into blockchain tokens. How is Plume Networks integrating real-time compliance and legal enforcement into its platform design? For instance, can your smart contracts automatically enforce KYC/AML checks, investor accreditation limits, and jurisdiction-specific regulations with each transaction?
Teddy Pornprinya: Real-time compliance is a fundamental aspect of our institutional approach. We have incorporated compliance mechanisms directly into our smart contracts and token standards. Depending on the type of asset and regulatory requirements, we support both ERC-20 and ERC-3643 token standards. This ensures that compliance is enforced not only during onboarding but continuously throughout every transaction or transfer, providing the level of security and auditability that institutions demand.
crypto.news: What is Plume Networks’ strategy for distinguishing itself in this growing market, and how do you plan to compete against both crypto-native platforms and traditional asset managers who are also exploring asset tokenization?
Teddy Pornprinya: Instead of competing with them, we often serve as a facilitator. Traditional asset managers and crypto-native protocols come to us for distribution and infrastructure. We offer a comprehensive solution: compliant onboarding, asset issuance, liquidity sourcing, and access to our user network. Our unique value lies in our ability to combine on-chain execution with institutional-grade compliance and go-to-market capabilities. We assist in bringing assets onto the blockchain and help them find a market through community engagement, token design, and narrative-building—something that neither established players nor DeFi-native protocols typically excel at.
crypto.news: While tokenization aims to democratize investment, retail participation in real estate has historically been limited. What are the main obstacles preventing everyday investors from embracing tokenized assets (such as knowledge gaps, regulatory onboarding hurdles, or user experience issues)? How is Plume Networks addressing these challenges for retail investors while also meeting the demands of large institutional participants?
Teddy Pornprinya: Education is the primary barrier. Many retail investors do not have a full understanding of their investments, particularly when it comes to real-world assets, which are more intricate than typical crypto tokens. As speculative trading diminishes and more users transition towards fundamental-based investments, the demand for exposure to Real World Assets (RWAs) is increasing. We have developed a product called Nest to address the KYC obstacle for non-U.S. retail users. Nest enables users to deposit funds into a vault managed by a KYB-compliant entity registered in the Marshall Islands. This entity acquires institutional assets and issues tokens representing the economic interest in those assets. This setup allows retail users to access RWAs without breaching jurisdictional constraints, similar to how DAI simplifies collateral management.
crypto.news: With potentially trillions of dollars in assets being tokenized over the next decade, secure custody is a critical concern. One approach is to hold property in neutral third-party trusts until obligations are fulfilled, underscoring the importance of investor protection. How is Plume addressing custody and security for tokenized assets on your network? Are you collaborating with established custodians, or are you developing in-house solutions to ensure that both institutional and retail investors feel confident about the safety of their digital assets?
Teddy Pornprinya: We have partnered with Anchorage and Fireblocks to address the need for institutional-grade custody partners for certain assets, as the security of funds and assets is paramount. We are actively working with a variety of institutional partners, many of whom are also investors, to ensure the safety and protection of digital assets on our network.
