Tokenization’s Next Use Case Is Personalized Portfolios, NYLIM Executive Says

Tokenization has largely been viewed as a way to accelerate settlement, enable round-the-clock trading and connect assets with DeFi. Thomas Sy, head of multi-asset solutions at New York Life Investment Management, or NYLIM, sees greater value in embedding customized allocations of assets such as ETFs, bonds and private credit directly into products. He said this could make personalized portfolios scalable while reducing back-office costs.

On July 4, 2026, Sy said his team managed about $11 billion within NYLIM, which had $807 billion in assets. The company has also partnered with Centrifuge to bring a high-yield corporate bond strategy on-chain. The stablecoin market has surpassed $300 billion, and institutional demand for yield-bearing tokenized assets could increase. However, tokenized collateral, central clearing and prime brokerage services still need to be developed.