The tokenization of government assets: Zhao shares his vision with twelve governments

Changpeng Zhao, co-founder of Binance, presented an ambitious vision regarding the tokenization of national resources. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he revealed that he is currently in active discussions with about twelve governments to explore practical applications of this technology. This initiative marks a potential turning point in how states consider financing and managing their public assets.

How tokenization is transforming public financing

The core concept presented by Zhao is based on a simple yet revolutionary economic premise. Tokenization allows tangible assets—infrastructure, real estate, natural resources—to be converted into digital tokens tradable on the blockchain. In this way, governments can fragment ownership of these assets into portions accessible to citizens and investors.

“Governments can thus realize their financial benefits first, then redeploy them to further develop these sectors,” Zhao explained. This approach is similar to historical models where some countries monetized their strategic assets by selling stakes in national energy or telecommunications companies. However, tokenization offers unprecedented granularity, enabling fractional investments on an unmatched scale.

Concrete cases: the path toward adoption

Zhao’s discussions are not purely theoretical. In the past, he has identified several pioneering governments in this direction. Pakistan, Malaysia, and Kyrgyzstan are among the nations actively exploring tokenization solutions. Kyrgyzstan, in particular, concretized this approach last year by launching a stablecoin pegged to its national currency, the som, linked to a monetary instrument backed by $300 million in gold reserves.

These concrete examples demonstrate that the adoption of tokenization is not far off. Governments are gradually recognizing the potential of this technology to generate revenue while offering new investment opportunities to their citizens. This convergence between the fiscal needs of states and the technological capabilities of blockchain creates a favorable dynamic for the global expansion of these initiatives.

Cryptocurrencies and AI agents: the future of payments

Beyond the tokenization of government assets, Zhao addressed an even more transformative dimension: the integration of cryptocurrencies as a native payment method for AI agents. According to him, when AI algorithms make transactions on behalf of users, they will naturally use cryptocurrencies as a medium of exchange.

This perspective highlights an inevitable fusion between emerging technologies and digital monetary systems. As autonomous agents multiply in the digital ecosystem, the demand for programmable and instant payment methods—intrinsic features of cryptocurrencies—will intensify. Tokenization, combined with this growing adoption of cryptocurrencies, sketches an economic landscape where digital transactions become the default standard for all actors, humans and machines alike.