Tokenized Equities Jump 140% as Bitget Leads Liquidity Race

Tokenized equities have become one of crypto's fastest-growing segments in 2026. Their active market capitalization has surged more than 140%, rising from $814 million in January to nearly $2 billion, according to a new DeFiLlama study. The report suggests the next phase will depend less on novelty and more on liquidity, settlement quality, and reliable execution.

The tokenized equity market is expanding quickly, but growth alone does not guarantee maturity. DeFiLlama examined brokerage connections, reserve verification, dividend handling, and settlement models across leading platforms. These questions have become more important as Bitget connects tokenized equities to real US market liquidity.

Tokenized stocks bring traditional market exposure into a crypto-native environment. Depending on their structure, they can offer fractional access, blockchain settlement, and longer trading hours. They may also reduce some of the geographical and operational barriers that prevent investors from reaching international equities.

Putting a stock-linked product on a blockchain does not automatically create an efficient market. Users still need clear reserve structures, accurate prices, and enough liquidity to enter or leave positions. Dividend payments and corporate actions, including stock splits, must also be reflected correctly.

The market's rise from $814 million to nearly $2 billion shows that demand is no longer theoretical. Yet it remains small compared with conventional equity markets. The next challenge is not simply issuing more tokens. Platforms must prove that these products can function under larger volumes without excessive spreads or unstable execution.

DeFiLlama's findings put Bitget ahead across several key trading measurements. The exchange recorded the lowest median bid-ask spread among the platforms assessed, at 0.83 basis points. It also delivered the deepest top-of-book liquidity across all five tokenized equity markets included in the study.

The broader benchmark covered 36 stock perpetual contracts and eight contracts linked to metals and commodities. Bitget led 32 contracts at the five-basis-point depth level. It ranked first on 34 contracts at ten basis points and 33 contracts at 50 basis points.

Aggregate order-book depth also favored Bitget across every measured range. These results suggest the exchange could absorb larger orders while limiting price disruption. That advantage matters because a tokenized stock may closely track its reference asset in theory but still become expensive to trade when its own market lacks depth.