Asset Managers Can Serve Digital-Native Investors Without Issuing Tokens Themselves

HELSINKI, Sept. 16, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Asset managers can serve digitally native investors without issuing tokens themselves, according to new research from AssetTokenization.com. The study, which analyzed over 500 public announcements and reports, found that some asset managers are meeting that demand through conventional fund shares, while other firms separately tokenize exposure to their funds.

"Launching a token is just the start of the journey," said Anniina Saari, Founder and CEO of AssetTokenization.com. "We need to share publicly what changed and the benefits achieved. Tokenization depends on firms working together. Sharing those lessons would help other institutions assess where they can participate and help the whole industry learn from experience."

The research found that 71.4% of the analyzed announcements and reports described existing or planned products and services without explaining any changes in how they were performed. Only 8.3% of the sources detailed how financial tasks were executed differently, and just 2.2% described changes embedded in regular operations. The clearest examples of change involved removing recurring manual transfers and integrating separate administration functions.

Saari noted that treasury, reserve, and credit needs bring business to investment managers. DAO treasuries invested their balances, digital-dollar reserves held fund investments, and on-chain credit allocators invested in credit funds. Managers need to understand who chooses the investment, how the buyer accesses the fund, and the required liquidity, including sale and redemption timing.

The research also highlighted that exposure to the same fund can carry different investor rights. Investors may own fund shares directly or hold another firm's token linked to those shares. Across the full review, distribution-related developments appeared in 29.9% of sources, including announced arrangements and available services.

Services added after launch can make investments usable as collateral or provide another way to sell them. Holders may keep earning income while using their investments as collateral, or sell their holdings to a separate buyer for digital dollars. Conventional securities already support these functions, and tokenization's benefit depends on where collateral is accepted, how it moves, and when funding is available.

The research accompanies the launch of AssetTokenization.com's Intelligence Portal, which connects tokenized assets with the institutions, platforms, and market developments that shape their use. The Intelligence Portal aims to provide valuable insights and support to financial institutions navigating the complexities of asset tokenization.