Organizations like banks and the trading industry act as intermediaries that connect international relationships. The withdrawals on this platform are quick with extraordinary security.
For a company to buy or sell an Apple or Microsoft stock in the US, it must go through a large financial institution like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, or Raymond James Financial Services. If you are investing, you may check informative websites to learn how to safeguard investment in Ethereum.
Ethereum has changed this by allowing “tokenization of assets” (a process of converting rights to an asset into a digital token on the blockchain), thereby removing intermediary costs and opening up new possibilities by making trade more efficient, trust-less, and transparent – fundamentally changing how value is exchanged under business management scenarios.
Ethereum has created unique possibilities for cross-border funds transfer across borders where previously there were none without intermediaries and significantly lower fees than traditional processes offer. However, the actual game changer is the ability to tokenize stocks and shares of Apple, Microsoft, Mcdonald’s, and Google.
In other words – Ethereum has given us a new way to buy a piece of an asset than what we used in the past. For example, it has created a digital outlet where we can invest in companies (stocks) through digital tokens on a blockchain platform. These digital tokens are software-based representations of value that hold the same financial value as their analogs but can be traded differently.
What is tokenization?
Tokenization of stocks, shares, and securities is a practical application of blockchain technology that enables companies to issue and manage their assets securely and efficiently. However, before understanding how tokens work, it’s essential to understand the meaning of assets: assets are all the things into which money or capital is invested.
Just like money or capital in general, they represent future value (stocks represent ownership over corporate shares, which have value). Assets can be considered a “representation” of the underlying asset on the blockchain, and the most common types of assets are cash, commodities, and securities (like stocks). A company uses these other resources to generate revenue by issuing equity in its business.
Typical benefits of tokenization
Accessibility: Ownership of assets can be global, meaning anyone can invest. There aren’t ownership restrictions based on regions or citizenship. Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, in general, have opened new possibilities for companies to manage their assets worldwide. The most apparent benefits of tokenization include the following:
- Accessibility: Tokenization makes the asset accessible to a larger market, increasing the pool of potential investors. Through digital tokens, anyone in any part of the world can now participate in a trade previously limited by physical factors like location and citizenship.
- Transparency: With the help of blockchain technology, tokenization makes trading more transparent. It helps prevent embezzlement and corruption, as every transaction is recorded for everybody to see. In addition, trade is more reliable and verifiable through blockchain technology, where a distributed ledger stores all relevant information about every transaction across a peer-to-peer network.
- Reduces Risk: Digital tokens remove the need for a middleman or third-party settlement in trade transactions meaning there is no longer any need to trust an intermediary with your assets. Tokenization means no fees are needed to process the transaction (a middleman or 3rd party takes a fee). Removing transfer and custody fees also lowers transaction costs, making trading and investing more efficient. As pass-through ownership is open to everyone, new investment opportunities can be accessed by everyone.
How has Ethereum made tokenization easier?
The Ethereum code can be used by a user to create a token representing any asset. In addition, the code allows the creation of custom tokens. Ether is the platform’s “crypto-fuel”, a necessary component for the operation of Ethereum.
Tokens can represent any asset that has value and can be traded.
Even though Ethereum has opened up new possibilities for companies to manage their assets worldwide, some legal issues need to be considered.
Issues with tokenization of assets. As blockchain technology is an entirely new means of exchanging value, it hasn’t fully been regulated yet. However, some countries have already laid the groundwork for this paradigm shift in the financial sector by implementing regulatory measures concerning blockchain or cryptocurrency applications.
