Binance Research says crypto exchanges could be a major new gateway to global stock markets — and the numbers are eye-catching. In a fresh report, the firm estimates that tokenized equities and stablecoin-settled trading could funnel roughly $2 trillion of fresh capital and bring nearly 300 million new investors into equity markets by 2031. In a bullish scenario, that upside could swell to as much as $5 trillion in annual incremental equity capital over the next five years.
How would that happen? Binance frames crypto exchanges as a “distribution layer” for people who already use digital assets but lack easy access to traditional markets. Stablecoins and tokenized stocks can lower long-standing barriers — cutting costs, simplifying settlement, enabling fractional ownership and offering 24/7 trading — which could be especially powerful in underbanked and emerging markets.
Binance’s own data underscore the point: about 93% of its stock-trading users come from emerging markets. The report links that dominance to high brokerage fees, limited access to foreign exchanges, and banking friction that have historically kept many investors on the sidelines. “The next 300 million equity investors are coming from emerging markets,” Binance Research said on X, adding that many will be onboarded through exchanges, settle in stablecoins, and trade around the clock.
On costs, the report estimates that stablecoin settlement could shave roughly 3.6% — or about $40 — from typical off-ramp costs on cross-border transactions. Binance also highlights how TradFi-linked perpetuals already make up roughly 10% of stablecoin trading volume, suggesting demand for 24/7 exposure via crypto accounts is growing and that direct stock trading and tokenized equities could deepen that use case.
The research comes alongside Binance’s product push into traditional markets. The exchange plans to let non-U.S. users trade more than 7,000 U.S. stocks and ETFs with zero commissions and fractional purchases starting at $5. It’s also developing “bStocks,” a tokenized equity product on BNB Chain that would let eligible users convert supported shares into on-chain assets that could be used in lending and liquidity markets.
Binance’s report sits within a broader industry race to tokenization. Major players including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Ondo Finance, the DTCC and Euroclear have been expanding their roles, and tokenized equities crossed about $960 million by March 2026 — while tokenized treasuries remain the largest real-world asset category.
Binance Research is explicit about the limits of its estimates: the figures are not investment advice and aren’t guaranteed outcomes. Real adoption of tokenized stocks will depend on factors like user eligibility, regulation, custody solutions, market depth, and exchange support.
Bottom line: if stablecoins and tokenized equities scale, crypto exchanges could reshape how hundreds of millions access global markets — but regulatory, infrastructure and custody hurdles will determine whether the optimistic forecasts materialize.
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