Interoperable Tokens (XRP/QNT/COTI), RWA Tokenization, and Gold-Backed Stablecoins

(1) XRP — Settlement Layer and Liquidity Bridge

XRP serves as a neutral liquidity bridge between different fiat currencies and tokenized assets. The arrival of seven US spot XRP ETFs (approximately $1 billion in AUM) signals progressive institutionalization. Demand for XRP structurally stems from the volume of transactional flows, which creates continuous buying pressure and a correlation between the adoption of RWAs and XRP’s valuation (XRP lock-up liquidity models).

(2) Quant (QNT) — Ecosystem Interoperability

Quant (QNT) is designed to connect different blockchains and existing systems via its Overledger operating system—interoperability without requiring an intermediate bridge or token. The collaboration with Murex (MX.3) to unlock tokenized deposits and digital bonds in March 2026, along with the partnership with Ripple discussed in April 2026, positions QNT as a systemic interoperator for central banks and corporations, complementary to XRP.

(3) COTI — Payment Layer for Regulated Stablecoins

COTI (Currency of the Internet) is designed as a high-velocity decentralized payment infrastructure for regulated stablecoins (up to 100,000 transactions per second). Tokenomics updated in April 2026 incorporate multi-chain privacy and token burns. At the end of January 2026, COTI integrated with the Midnight network, supported by ChainPort, thereby strengthening the interoperability of the regulated payments ecosystem.

(4) Gold-Backed Stablecoins (XAUt / thUSD)

• XAUt (Tether): Each XAUt is backed 1:1 by physical gold stored in vaults in Switzerland. The expansion of XAUt0 on Conflux (April 2026) integrates tokenized gold into an omni-chain environment with USDT0 stablecoins.

• thUSD (Theo): A gold-backed stablecoin with a target annual yield of approximately 10% generated by a cash-and-carry strategy (holding physical gold against short-selling gold futures). The Genesis program of $100 million between March and April 2026 was sold out in 24 hours. RWA tokenization reached approximately $19.3 billion in Q1 2026, and gold backing is becoming a major structural theme.

(5) Macro Trends: Tokenization of RWAs

• Exponential Growth: The market capitalization of stablecoins exceeded 320 billion. The RWA tokenization market tripled to reach 19.3 billion in Q1 2026 (dominated by tokenized Treasury bills, followed by commodities and gold). Grayscale anticipates a wave of tokenization for equities and private credit in 2026-2027.

• Gold Backing as a Structural Theme: Physical gold is no longer just a reserve asset but is becoming a programmable, divisible, verifiable, and globally transferable asset via gold-backed stablecoins (“digital physical gold”). The integration of gold into DeFi systems represents an additional layer of the new hybrid financial system.