The tokenization narrative is picking up serious momentum, and now industry insiders are starting to say the quiet part out loud. At a recent interview at the $XRP Las Vegas event in May 2026, Evernorth CEO Asheesh Birla shared a bold take: tokenization isn’t just a trend, it’s about to become the default.
He compared it to the early days of the internet, when people used to ask, “Are you on the internet?”, until suddenly, everyone just was. According to him, the same shift is coming fast, and within the next two years, people won’t ask if assets are tokenized… they’ll simply expect it.
Today, tokenization is still niche, with limited adoption and awareness. But according to Birla, that phase is ending fast. As infrastructure improves and institutions step in, tokenization could become the standard way assets are issued, traded, and held.
And in that future, he believes $XRP is set to play a major role.
$XRP Positioned as a Leader
Ash made a strong case for $XRP’s role in this future, stating, “I do believe that $XRP is going to be a leader there.”
He pointed out that $XRP’s ecosystem has always been built around financial use cases, payments, settlements, and liquidity, giving it a natural edge as traditional finance merges with blockchain technology.
From his perspective, the market is finally catching up to what $XRP was designed for from the beginning. Looking ahead, Birla is particularly excited about $XRP-based DeFi. Projects like Flare and Axelar, along with native $XRP Ledger developments, could enable new yield opportunities and expand the ecosystem.
He stressed that more builders and on-chain products are key to $XRP’s long-term success.
Institutional Giants Are Moving In
The biggest shift, however, is coming from institutions. Birla noted that major players like JPMorgan, BlackRock, and Franklin Templeton are no longer experimenting but actively building dedicated divisions around tokenization.
“It isn’t a matter of pilots anymore… we are starting entire divisions,” he noted.
This signals a major turning point, with trillions of dollars potentially entering the space as traditional finance embraces blockchain-based assets.
The Future of Portfolios
Ash also believes crypto exposure will expand significantly in portfolios. While current allocations remain low at around 1%, he sees two parallel trends emerging.
First, more investors will directly hold crypto as barriers to entry fall. Second, tokenized assets like equities and gold will become more common, blending traditional and digital finance.
“More and more people are going to want exposure,” he said, stressing that adoption is still in its early stages.
Overall, tokenization is moving from concept to reality, and if this vision plays out, $XRP could play a central role in shaping that future.
