“We’re unlocking a future where anyone, anywhere, can generate yield from real-world assets through DeFi.”
With that bold opening, James Im, CEO of Goldstation.io, captivated the STO SUMMIT Spring 2025 audience with a compelling vision for the intersection of traditional commodities and decentralized finance (DeFi). His keynote, titled “Tokenized Gold and the Future of Real-World Asset Yield in DeFi”, laid out a new financial blueprint: gold as programmable, decentralized income.
The Value of Tokenized Gold
In the world of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, gold remains the ultimate benchmark—stable, time-tested, and globally recognized. But James Im and his company Goldstation.io, a subsidiary of Creder Inc., are doing something new: they are turning gold into a yield-generating asset.
By backing digital tokens with audited gold reserves and integrating DeFi staking mechanisms, Goldstation is transforming static wealth into dynamic income. Users can stake gold tokens, participate in validator networks, and benefit from a decentralized smart contract infrastructure—all while maintaining the security of physical asset backing.
“Our mission is to make real-world assets yield-generating in a transparent and decentralized way.”
Global Trends in Tokenized Commodities
James highlighted a broader trend reshaping capital markets: the exponential rise of tokenized real-world assets. With major financial institutions moving into tokenized U.S. Treasuries, real estate, and commodities, Goldstation’s focus on precious metals aligns perfectly with global demand.
“Tokenized commodities like gold, silver, and copper are entering the digital economy—and we’re offering the infrastructure to scale them responsibly.”
He noted projections that the RWA tokenization market will surpass $10 trillion by 2030, citing both institutional and retail demand for on-chain access to tangible assets.
“RWA is not hype. It’s the natural evolution of finance.”
The Architecture of Yield
James broke down the Goldstation protocol architecture:
- Custody-backed token issuance: Each token is linked to gold reserves in secure vaults.
- Staking and validator networks: Users earn yield by validating transactions and securing the network.
- Cross-chain functionality: Interoperability across Ethereum, Polygon, and Cosmos ecosystems.
- Smart contract governance: Automated rewards, compliance checks, and liquidity mechanisms.
Live on stage, James walked through case studies of yield-generating gold portfolios in Asia and the Middle East. He emphasized how regulated smart contracts can outperform traditional systems in cost, speed, and transparency.
Compliance and Cross-Border Opportunities
Acknowledging that gold tokenization touches both financial regulation and commodity law, James addressed compliance head-on:
“We work with auditors, legal firms, and global custodians to ensure every token issued is secure, traceable, and legally sound.”
In countries with high inflation and limited banking access, Goldstation offers DeFi as an inclusive bridge to wealth-building—a theme that resonated deeply with the SUMMIT’s international audience.
“We’ve partnered with ecosystem builders in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Gold can be both a hedge and an opportunity.”
The Future is Fractional, Global, and Transparent
As he concluded, James encouraged developers, regulators, and investors to rethink how they view gold—not as a static vault asset, but as a participatory, programmable unit of value.
“We are not just digitizing gold—we’re democratizing access to its economic power.”
With Goldstation preparing to launch next-generation staking pools, DeFi integrations, and cross-chain liquidity nodes, James Im left the audience with a clear takeaway: the future of finance is being built now, and tokenized gold is leading the way.
