Coinbase Pushes Open Tokenization to Close Wealth Gap

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Coinbase Calls for Open Tokenization to Bridge Wealth Divide

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: January 20, 2026

Key Takeaways

Coinbase said the real wealth gap lies between those with access to capital markets and the billions still excluded from them;
Around 4 billion people remain unbrokered, shut out by costly intermediaries that limit direct investing and fundraising;
Coinbase supports open tokenization and argues that only permissionless systems can make capital access fair and inclusive.

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Coinbase Calls for Open Tokenization to Bridge Wealth Divide

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A new Coinbase $1.99B Institute report stated that today’s main financial gap is between those with access to capital markets and those without.

It described this gap as the difference between the “brokered” and the “unbrokered".

The report indicated that about 4 billion people worldwide are excluded from owning assets or raising funds because traditional systems rely on numerous middlemen, such as brokers and custodians.

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Coinbase argued that fixing this issue means rebuilding market systems so that individuals can invest and raise capital directly.

The report noted that in the United States, returns from ownership have grown much faster than income from work. Over the past 40 years, capital income increased by 136%, while labor income grew by only 57%.

The study also found that ownership of stocks, bonds, and investment funds is concentrated in wealthier countries and among people who already have brokerage access.

Coinbase stated that tokenization could help close this gap, but only if it is open to everyone. The report warned that permissioned or closed blockchain systems often recreate the same barriers as traditional finance, which allows only a few to decide who can issue or trade assets.

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