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RWA Tokenization

Tokenization Fails on Jurisdiction, Not Technology

The token standard is rarely what breaks a tokenization project. The legal structure underneath it is, because the rules change depending on the asset, the issuer’s jurisdiction, and where the investors sit.

We structure the legal wrapper and the token together, for the specific regulatory regime the deal actually has to clear.

What’s Included

  1. Asset eligibility and structuring assessment for real estate, commodities, private credit, and fund units

  2. SPV and legal entity structuring

  3. Token standard selection (ERC-3643, ERC-1400, or equivalent)

  4. Cross-jurisdictional regulatory mapping

  5. Custody and redemption design

Jurisdictions

Regulatory coverage, by region

Tokenization law is not one standard applied globally. It’s a different regulatory answer depending on where the asset, the issuer, and the investors sit. Blockphrase structures against all four regimes it actually operates in.

01

European Union: MiCA

Token classification under the substance-over-form test (utility, ART, or EMT), white paper obligations, and CASP licensing requirements.

02

UAE: VARA

Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority framework, relevant for any structure issued through or held in the UAE.

03

Current as of . Reviewed quarterly.

India: RBI and SEBI

India does not yet have one unified tokenization law. Which regulator applies depends on the asset. A security as defined under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act falls under SEBI. A banking deposit falls under RBI. Tokenized gold falls under SEBI’s commodity derivatives framework or specific gold scheme rules.

What’s live right now: SEBI’s Demat 2.0 pilot has already settled tokenized corporate bonds through RBI’s wholesale central bank digital currency, with India’s depositories managing custody so investors don’t need to manage their own keys. RBI’s Unified Markets Interface is the settlement layer underneath it. Real estate tokenization pilots are running through GIFT City under the IFSCA framework.

A private member’s bill (the Asset Tokenisation Regulation Bill, 2026) proposing a licensing framework has been introduced in the Rajya Sabha but is not yet law. We structure against the regulatory reality as it stands today.

04

Singapore: MAS

Relevant for structures issued through or distributed into Singapore.

Insights

Related Research

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Common questions

What people ask before they call.

Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization issues tokens that represent assets such as real estate, commodities, private credit or fund units. The token standard is rarely what breaks a project. The legal structure underneath it is, because the rules change with the asset, the issuer’s jurisdiction and where investors sit.

It depends on the asset and the structure. Blockphrase selects ERC-3643, ERC-1400 or an equivalent as part of structuring, alongside the SPV or legal entity, custody and redemption design.

India does not yet have one unified tokenization law. Which regulator applies depends on the asset: securities under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act fall under SEBI, banking deposits under RBI, and tokenized gold under SEBI’s commodity derivatives framework or specific gold scheme rules. The Asset Tokenisation Regulation Bill, 2026 is not yet law.

Four: the EU (MiCA), UAE (VARA), India (RBI and SEBI) and Singapore (MAS).

Let’s See If We’re the Right Fit

We take on a limited number of engagements at a time to keep advisory quality high. A short scoping call tells us both, quickly, whether this is a fit.