•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
At the Digital Trust in Finance 2026 forum, “Building digital trust in finance in the AI era,” held on May 12, Chris Chiew, a senior financial advisor from CAEX, said Vietnam has a significant opportunity to develop the tokenized assets market.
Chiew said tokenizing real assets in Vietnam—covering stocks, bonds, commodities, and real estate—could reach 70–80 billion USD by 2030. He argued this would create a “solid liquidity foundation” and improve the efficiency of using tokenized assets.
He also cited current market scale and broader capital pools: trading volume in tokenized assets in Vietnam is about 220 billion USD, while capital related to traditional assets totals around 1.6 trillion USD.
Chiew further noted that Vietnam ranks among the top five globally in acceptance of tokenized assets, not only within Southeast Asia. In his view, this positions Vietnam to become a leading destination for digital assets.
On the shift in trust in finance, Chiew said digital assets can “counterbalance” traditional finance (TradFi) and will coexist with it. He emphasized that exchanges for asset tokens must work with financial partners, regulators, and the government to expand the market in a safe, secure, and compliant environment.
From a TradFi perspective, he said trust has been built over time through ongoing collaboration among government, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions to help prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and fraud.
Chiew said that while demand for digital assets remains strong, barriers for large institutions to participate often include regulatory clarity, risk and compliance concerns, education, and a lack of understanding of asset risks.
He pointed to the emergence of legal frameworks such as Resolution 05 as a positive signal for near-term expansion and development of digital assets in Vietnam, even though the framework is currently limited.
Another challenge, according to Chiew, is the pace of adoption of tokenized assets. For real asset tokenization, he said the issue is not only whether exchanges can tokenize, but also whether companies are comfortable allowing their equity, traditional assets, or real estate to be tokenized.
He added that this comfort depends on governance frameworks and regulatory standards.
Chiew also suggested increasing awareness among individual customers, the middle class, and young people to encourage participation in what he described as a “new playground.”
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
