The Great Transformation of the Blockchain Industry in 2025: New Growth Driven by Real Asset Tokenization and Corporate Adoption
Editor
As of December 2025, the blockchain industry is undergoing a fundamental paradigm shift. Unlike the past, where it was influenced by cryptocurrency price volatility, real-world asset tokenization and enterprise blockchain solutions are becoming the main drivers of industry growth. The global blockchain market size surged from $94 billion in 2024 to $163 billion in 2025, marking a 73.2% increase, with enterprise blockchain solutions accounting for 42% of the total market at $68.4 billion. Growth in the Asia-Pacific region is particularly notable, with corporate adoption rates in Korea and Japan increasing by 156% year-over-year, significantly outpacing the North American market’s growth rate of 89%.
The active adoption of blockchain by traditional financial institutions underpins this growth. JPMorgan’s (New York-based) JPM Coin transaction volume has surpassed $300 billion monthly, and Goldman Sachs (New York-based) processes $12 billion annually through its digital asset trading platform. Domestically, Shinhan Bank handles transactions worth 80 billion KRW monthly through a blockchain-based trade finance platform, while Hana Bank records a daily transaction volume of 5 billion KRW in its digital won pilot program. These movements by financial institutions are key indicators that blockchain technology has moved beyond the experimental stage into practical application.
The rapid growth of the real asset tokenization market is particularly noteworthy. The market size for converting traditional real assets like real estate, artwork, and commodities into digital tokens surged from $2.3 billion in 2024 to $8.9 billion in 2025, a 287% increase. Singapore-based startup PropertyGuru tokenized real estate assets worth $4.5 billion annually through its Asia real estate tokenization platform, while Zurich-based Centrifuge issued tokens worth $1.2 billion in real asset-backed loans. Domestically, the Korea Exchange achieved monthly transaction volumes of 15 billion KRW through a real estate tokenization pilot project, accelerating the convergence of traditional finance and blockchain.
Widespread Adoption of Enterprise Blockchain Solutions
The most significant change in the enterprise blockchain market is the rapid growth in supply chain management and data integrity assurance. Walmart (Arkansas-based) manages $450 billion worth of goods annually through a blockchain-based food tracking system, reducing the trace time for food safety incidents from seven days to 2.2 seconds, a 99.99% time reduction, showcasing the practical value of blockchain technology. Domestically, Samsung SDS (Seoul-based) processes logistics transactions worth 280 billion KRW monthly through its blockchain-based logistics platform ‘Cello Square,’ while LG CNS (Seoul-based) achieved annual sales of 45 billion KRW with its blockchain quality management solution for manufacturers.
The adoption of blockchain in the healthcare sector is also rapidly expanding. Pfizer (New York-based) manages and tracks $120 billion worth of pharmaceuticals annually through a blockchain system to prevent counterfeit drugs, reducing counterfeit drug distribution by 87%. Medtronic (Minnesota-based) adopted blockchain to ensure the integrity of medical device data, reducing regulatory compliance costs by $230 million annually. Domestically, Seoul National University Hospital implemented a blockchain-based medical data management system, improving patient data security by 99.7% and driving a medical big data business worth 15 billion KRW annually.
Government and public sector adoption of blockchain is also accelerating. The Estonian government manages 1.7 million digital citizens through its e-residency system, saving 2 billion euros in annual administrative costs. The Dubai government aims to process all government transactions via blockchain by 2025, currently handling 78% of government transactions on blockchain, saving $1.5 billion annually. In Korea, the Ministry of Science and ICT allocated a 2025 budget of 89 billion KRW for building a blockchain-based public service platform, while Seoul processes 1.2 million administrative services monthly through a blockchain-based citizen card service.
Global Competitive Landscape and Technology Innovation Trends
In the blockchain platform market, Ethereum’s dominance is being challenged. While Ethereum still accounts for 67% of the total DeFi (Decentralized Finance) market, next-generation platforms like Solana, Binance Smart Chain, and Polygon are rapidly expanding their market share. Solana, with the ability to process 65,000 transactions per second, holds 12% of the total DeFi market, showing strength particularly in the NFT and gaming sectors. Binance Smart Chain, leveraging low transaction fees (average $0.05), surpasses $12 billion in daily transaction volume, with a 23% market share in the Asian market.
Advancements in Layer 2 solutions are also noteworthy. The total value locked (TVL) in Ethereum Layer 2 networks like Arbitrum and Optimism has surpassed $18 billion, a 340% increase from the previous year. Polygon (Mumbai-based) achieved annual sales of $890 million in the enterprise blockchain solution market through partnerships with global companies like Meta (California-based) and Disney (California-based). The growth of these Layer 2 solutions significantly enhances blockchain scalability and practical usability.
The competition in central bank digital currency (CBDC) development is also intense. The People’s Bank of China’s digital yuan has surpassed 120 billion yuan (approximately $16.8 billion) in cumulative transactions, with commercial services in 26 major cities nationwide. The European Central Bank processes 5 billion euros monthly in its digital euro pilot program, aiming for a formal launch in 2026. The Bank of Korea achieved a transaction processing performance of 100,000 transactions per second in its CBDC pilot test, confirming 99.9% stability in integration tests with eight commercial banks. The Bank of Japan plans to start the third phase of CBDC proof-of-concept in the second half of 2025, focusing on strengthening connectivity with private financial institutions.
In the enterprise blockchain solution market, traditional IT companies like IBM (New York-based), Microsoft (Washington-based), and Oracle (California-based) are taking the lead. IBM’s Hyperledger Fabric-based solutions are used by over 500 companies worldwide, generating $2.3 billion in annual sales. Microsoft Azure Blockchain Service, with its strength in cloud-based convenient deployment and management, has secured 2,800 corporate clients, achieving an annual growth rate of 145%. Oracle Blockchain Platform shows strength particularly in supply chain management, with 180 Fortune 500 companies adopting it, generating $1.8 billion in annual sales.
Domestic companies are also increasing their presence in the blockchain market. Samsung SDS achieved annual sales of 68 billion KRW through its blockchain platform ‘Nexledger’ across various fields such as finance, logistics, and manufacturing, showing success particularly in Southeast Asian market expansion. SK Telecom (Seoul-based) secured 21 million monthly users through its blockchain-based identity verification service ‘PASS,’ achieving annual sales of 45 billion KRW in the digital identity verification market. LG CNS built a blockchain-based carbon credit trading platform, mediating 12 million tons of carbon credit transactions annually, creating new revenue streams in ESG management support business.
Looking at investment trends, venture investment in the blockchain sector in 2025 increased by 89% year-over-year, reaching $23.4 billion. Of this, enterprise solutions accounted for $9.8 billion (42%), financial services for $7.6 billion (32%), and infrastructure and development tools for $6 billion (26%). Regionally, North America led with $11.2 billion, followed by Asia-Pacific with $8.9 billion, and Europe with $3.3 billion. Particularly, Korea’s blockchain investment increased by 156% year-over-year, reaching $890 million, supporting the development of the blockchain ecosystem alongside the government’s Digital New Deal policy.
However, the blockchain industry also faces significant challenges. Regulatory uncertainty remains the biggest obstacle. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s increased cryptocurrency regulation led to a 23% drop in the stock prices of major exchanges like Coinbase (California-based) compared to the beginning of the year, and the implementation of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation increased compliance costs for related companies by an average of 340%. In Korea, with the upcoming implementation of the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, preparation costs for exchanges are skyrocketing, with some small exchanges considering business withdrawal.
Technical limitations still exist. The Bitcoin network’s transaction processing capacity remains limited at seven transactions per second, and Ethereum’s at 15, posing challenges for large-scale commercial services. The energy consumption issue persists, with the electricity consumed for Bitcoin mining annually matching Argentina’s total power consumption at 150 TWh. In response, Ethereum transitioned to a Proof of Stake (PoS) system, reducing energy consumption by 99.95%, and other blockchain platforms are adopting eco-friendly consensus algorithms.
As we enter the second half of 2025, the blockchain industry stands at a critical turning point in terms of technological maturity and practicality. Moving away from the speculative nature of the early cryptocurrency market, it is strengthening its connection with the real economy and entering a stage of genuine value creation. The expansion of digital asset services by financial institutions, the acceleration of blockchain adoption by corporations, and the development of CBDCs by governments are all contributing to a significant increase in the social acceptance of blockchain technology. The rapid growth of the real asset tokenization market, in particular, is breaking down the boundaries between traditional finance and digital assets, creating new investment opportunities.
Looking ahead, the global blockchain market size is expected to reach $289 billion by 2026, with enterprise solutions projected to account for 55% of the total market. Growth in practical application areas such as supply chain management, digital identity verification, and carbon credit trading is expected to be particularly prominent. Technologically, the introduction of quantum-resistant cryptography to counter quantum computing threats, the enhancement of smart contracts through integration with artificial intelligence, and the development of cross-chain technology to improve interoperability are expected to be major innovation drivers. With these technological advancements and the clarification of regulatory environments, blockchain technology is anticipated to establish itself as a core infrastructure of the digital economy.
*This analysis is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice or solicitation. All investment decisions should be made at the discretion and responsibility of the individual investor.*
