Pokémon, the iconic franchise known for its video games, anime, and trading card game, could be the next major real-world asset (RWA) to move on-chain. With a market valued at $21.4 billion, Pokémon cards may soon embrace blockchain technology. Bitwise research analyst Danny Nelson noted Thursday, “Pokémon and other trading cards (TCGs) are about to have their ‘Polymarket moment.’”
In a post on X, Nelson explained that this boom could be “sticky,” meaning it might create a lasting trend where a crypto innovation enters the mainstream, similar to how Polymarket transformed prediction markets.
Why Pokémon Cards Could Benefit More from Blockchain?
While traditional RWA tokenization has grown into a $28.34 billion market in 2025, it mainly focuses on stocks, treasuries, and real estate. Nelson noted that these markets already have “good enough digital rails,” so blockchain doesn’t dramatically improve them.
Pokémon cards, however, rely on physical shipping of Charizard, Pikachu, and Gardevoir, making them perfect candidates for tokenization.
Market leader Whatnot handled $3 billion in sales last year, showing the sector’s potential. Nelson hinted that Pokémon exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or investment funds could appear sooner than expected.
A New Market Leader Emerges
Recently, Collector Crypt released a tokenization platform on Solana, named Metaplex, that allows trading Pokémon cards, which is fast and profitable to exit.
Its token CARDS soared 10 times to a fully diluted value of $450 million within a span of one week, indicating a projected annual revenue of $38 million. The Collector Crypt’s Gacha Machine project also generated $16.6 million in revenue over the past week.
NFT trading volumes increased by 9% in August, reaching $578 million, their highest point since January, according to DappRadar. The figures suggest collectors are spending more per sale even as fewer assets change hands.
If Pokémon cards move on-chain, they could redefine the collectibles market and bring millions of fans into crypto through a familiar entry point.
Also Read: Tokenized Pokémon TCG Volume Goes Parabolic on Marketplaces
