Aave founder Stani Kulechov predicts $50 trillion worth of abundance assets could be tokenized for DeFi collateral by 2050 globally

Stani Kulechov, the founder of the decentralized lending protocol Aave, laid out a bold vision for the future of decentralized finance (DeFi), predicting that $50 trillion worth of so-called “abundance assets” could be tokenized onchain by 2050.

He highlighted solar energy as a key component, potentially accounting for $15-$30 trillion of that market.

Kulechov’s perspective suggests a major shift in how DeFi could evolve beyond scarce assets like bonds, stocks, and real estate, unlocking new opportunities for lending, borrowing, and investing in assets that are plentiful but underutilized.

---

The Current State of Tokenized Assets

Data from RWA.xyz shows that nearly $25 billion worth of real-world assets have already been tokenized.

These primarily include US Treasury bonds, stocks, commodities, private credit, and real estate—scarce assets with limited growth potential.

Kulechov argues that while tokenization of scarce assets will continue, the “biggest impact” could come from abundance assets, which are scalable and can generate more efficient capital deployment.

---

How Abundance Assets Could Transform Onchain Lending

According to Kulechov, tokenized solar projects could serve as a prime example.

For instance, financiers could tokenize a $100 million solar project and borrow $70 million to reinvest into additional projects.

This model would allow onchain depositors to earn scalable, low-risk yield while diversifying exposure across multiple projects.

“An investor might buy tokenized solar, hold for three years, sell at a profit, and immediately redeploy into new development,” Kulechov explained.

He emphasized that unlike traditional infrastructure investment, which locks capital for decades, tokenized assets allow continuous trading and multiple uses of the same capital over time.

---

Beyond Solar: Expanding Into Multiple Sectors

Kulechov sees the same model applying to other sectors, including batteries for energy storage, robotics for labor, vertical farming and lab-grown food for nutrition, semiconductors for computing, and 3D printing for materials.

These assets, while abundant, can be transformed into onchain collateral, offering investors exposure to scalable, efficient, and potentially high-yield projects.

---

Abundance Assets Could Outperform Scarce Assets

Kulechov suggests that abundance-backed assets could generate higher returns than traditional scarce assets, which face “low, thin margins and diminished profitability.”

He argues that abundance-backed products are superior in both financial performance and alignment with sustainable and innovative values.

“Abundance-backed products offer better returns, better risk characteristics, and better value alignment.

They win in the market because they are superior products,” he said.

---

Aave’s Current Position

Aave is the largest DeFi protocol by total value locked (TVL), currently at $27 billion, according to DeFiLlama.

The most lent and borrowed assets on Aave include the USDt (USDT) stablecoin, Ether (ETH), and wrapped Ether (wETH).

Despite this strong platform presence, Aave’s native token, AAVE, has struggled in 2026.

CoinGecko data shows that AAVE is down 15.2% so far this year, trading at $125.98, and remains 81% below its all-time high of $661.70 set in May 2021.

---

What’s Next?

Kulechov’s vision could reshape the DeFi landscape by attracting more institutional and retail capital into tokenized abundance assets.

If realized, solar, robotics, vertical farming, and other sectors could be used as onchain collateral, creating new yield opportunities and unlocking trillions in capital efficiency.

Investors will likely watch how Aave integrates these ideas and whether regulatory frameworks evolve to support large-scale tokenization of physical assets.

The success of such initiatives could define the next decade of DeFi growth.

---

Summary

Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave, predicts that $50 trillion of “abundance assets,” including solar energy, could be tokenized onchain by 2050, opening a new class of DeFi collateral.

Tokenization of these assets could enable continuous trading, higher yields, and greater capital efficiency compared with traditional infrastructure investments.

While scarce assets like bonds and real estate dominate today, abundance-backed products may offer superior returns and better alignment with market and sustainability goals.

Aave remains the largest DeFi protocol by TVL at $27 billion, though its native token AAVE has fallen over 15% in 2026 amid ongoing crypto market volatility.