Stani Kulechov, the mind behind the decentralized lending platform Aave, has proposed that decentralized finance (DeFi) could dramatically benefit from a staggering $50 trillion in “abundance assets,” such as solar energy, by utilizing tokenization before the year 2050. This approach could introduce a new class of on-chain collateral.
Data from RWA.xyz indicates that nearly $25 billion in real-world assets have already been tokenized, primarily in the form of US Treasury bonds, stocks, commodities, private credits, and real estate.
In a post on X last Sunday, Kulechov suggested that tokenizing abundance assets could yield the most significant benefits.
“Capital is hungry for new collateral, and the world is ready for a transformation that on-chain lending can capture and accelerate.”
He believes that the solar sector alone could represent $15 to $30 trillion of the total $50 trillion market by 2050.
Kulechov elaborated that solar debt financiers could tokenize a $100 million solar initiative while securing $70 million to reinvest into new projects. This model would provide on-chain depositors with scalable, low-risk yields that are well diversified.
“An investor might buy tokenized solar, hold for three years, sell at a profit, and immediately reinvest into new developments, enhancing capital efficiency.”
He sees similar potentials in various sectors: energy storage through batteries, robotics for labor, vertical farming, lab-grown food, semiconductors for computing, and 3D printing for materials.
Higher Returns from Abundance Assets
Kulechov suggested these abundance assets could yield superior returns compared to scarce assets, which may lead towards lower margins and profitability.
“Abundance-backed products offer better returns, better risk characteristics, and better alignment with values. They succeed in the market because they provide superior products.”
Aave leads the DeFi space, boasting a total value locked of $27 billion for borrowing and lending, as shown by DeFiLlama.
Aave’s token, AAVE, has faced a downturn, witnessing a 15.2% fall in 2026 as of now, with its price currently at $125.98, down 81% from its record high set in May 2021.
