[DigitalToday reporter Yeseul Kim] A forecast says cryptocurrency exchanges could emerge as a new channel bringing investors into global stock investment.

CoinPost, a blockchain media outlet, reported on June 5 that Binance Research said in its latest report that tokenised stocks could bring about 300 million new investors and about $2 trillion in additional funds into global stock markets by 2031.

Binance Research said stock tokenisation could be a “third turning point” that reshapes the structure of stock markets. The report said the market is moving to a stage where stocks trade on public blockchains, following the Dutch East India Company’s first public share offering in 1602 and the opening of Nasdaq’s electronic exchange in 1971. It said the market is shifting from centralised, ledger-based systems to open infrastructure with fewer time and geographic constraints.

It cited gaps in access by country. About 62 percent of Americans own stocks, but in many countries outside the United States, the stock market participation rate is below 20 percent. The report also said the U.S. stock market accounts for about half of global equity market capitalisation, while the share held by foreign investors remains at about 18 percent. Binance Research called this a “structural asymmetry” in international financial markets.

Early user composition appeared to be centred on emerging markets. Binance Research said about 93 percent of users of its stock trading service were from emerging markets. It said the result shows “strong demand” for stock investment opportunities. It means individuals who struggled to access existing markets due to geographic constraints and a lack of securities infrastructure are entering via cryptocurrency exchanges.

The report also said cryptocurrency exchanges could evolve into “financial super-apps” that combine stock trading and cash management functions. It said if exchanges move fully into stock businesses, several barriers to entry could fall, including opening brokerage accounts, international remittances and minimum investment units. Based on this, Binance Research estimated that by 2031 about $2 trillion of additional capital could flow into global stock markets through cryptocurrency exchanges.

On market infrastructure, the report highlighted an expanded role for stablecoins as a key variable. It said overseas investors have faced complex procedures and costs during remittances that go through banks and brokerages, but using stablecoins could reduce the burden of moving funds through local banks into brokerage accounts. It estimated average savings of 3.6 percent, about $40, per transaction.