CZ Is In Talk With A Donzen Countries On Asset Tokenization
- CZ says he is in talks with a dozen governments on tokenization of state-owned assets.
- Tokenization could help states raise funds early by selling fractional stakes in assets.
- BlackRock flags tokenization as a 2026 theme as IBIT leads U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Changpeng Zhao, Binance’s co-founder and former CEO, said he is in talks with “probably a dozen governments” about tokenization of state assets. The remarks were delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos. No countries or assets were identified during the panel. The discussion centered on how tokenization could help governments raise funds by selling small portions of public holdings.
During the panel, Zhao argued tokenization could unlock value earlier in the development cycle. Governments could potentially raise capital before long projects mature. “This way the government could actually realize their financial gains first,” he said. Those gains could then be used to develop industries tied to the assets.
New Funding Paths
Privatization models provide a rough comparison. Stakes in national oil firms and telecom companies have been sold by several states in the past. Tokenization could replicate that concept through digital rails. Smaller allocations could be offered to citizens and investors. Large block sales would not be the only route.
Earlier public statements from Zhao referenced talks with Pakistan, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan. Those mentions were made on social media, not in Davos detail. Government interest was described as spread across regions. The comments did not include policy frameworks or timelines. No official confirmation from the cited governments was provided in the remarks.
Kyrgyzstan was cited as an example of broader digital currency activity. A stablecoin pegged to the som launched last year. Plans were also announced for a dollar-pegged stablecoin backed by $300 million in gold reserves. Zhao referenced this as a signal of state experimentation. Direct involvement in issuance was not claimed.
Payment systems were another focus in Zhao’s Davos comments. Swipe-card style products could use crypto in the background. Merchants receive traditional currency while users pay in crypto. Conversion happens during settlement. This structure aims to reduce friction for businesses.
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Traditional payment rails are also converging with crypto infrastructure, Zhao said. Local-currency settlement remains important for merchants. Crypto could still be used without requiring businesses to hold it. Card-based layers could make that possible. Adoption could then expand through familiar checkout methods.
AI Agents and BlackRock Spotlight Tokenization Shift
Artificial intelligence was linked to crypto utility in Zhao’s remarks. “The native currency for AI agents will be crypto,” he said. Autonomous systems may need programmable settlement for transactions. Banking rails are not built for machine-driven global micro-payments. Crypto networks could process automated value transfer.
Autonomous AI systems could create new transaction flows. Machine-to-machine payments are expected to grow as automation expands. Programmable tokens allow conditional payments and execution. Zhao did not present a timeline for that shift. The point was framed as a long-term structural trend.
Institutional attention is also rising, according to BlackRock’s latest research. The firm released a report titled “2026 Thematic Outlook.” Crypto and tokenization were listed as major themes shaping 2026. Investor focus was said to be increasing. AI and energy infrastructure were included as other key sectors.
BlackRock said crypto should not be treated only as a speculative asset class. The report described crypto as infrastructure for payments and settlement. Liquidity management was also cited as a future use case. Tokenization was presented as a bridge between decentralized markets and traditional finance. The firm framed the shift as part of the broader market evolution.
ETF performance was used by BlackRock as supporting evidence. The company said its spot Bitcoin ETF, iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), is the fastest-growing exchange-traded product in history. IBIT launched in January 2024. It has operated for just over two years. The firm pointed to rapid growth as a signal of demand.
No finalized agreements were announced by Zhao. Contracts, deployments, and country-level decisions were not disclosed. Even so, his comments suggested tokenization is moving into policy discussions. Public finance could become a core use case for blockchain. Broader adoption could change how governments fund assets and distribute investment access.
