Ethereum News: New Ethereum Standard ERC-7943 Targets Real-World Asset Tokenization Fragmentation

Key TakeawaysA coalition of Web3 and fintech firms introduced ERC-7943, a new Ethereum token standard for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.The standard is minimal, modular, and implementation-agnostic, designed to work across Ethereum L2s and EVM-compatible chains.Author Dario Lo Buglio says ERC-7943 aims to streamline compliance and provide a “universal layer” for developers and institutions.The move comes as onchain RWAs hit $28.44 billion, reflecting rapid institutional adoption.Ethereum’s New RWA Standard: ERC-7943A coalition of Web3 companies has proposed a new Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP-7943) to set a common baseline for RWA tokenization. The standard creates a universal layer that works with any token type, eliminating the need for wrappers or custom bridges when integrating tokenized assets into applications.The proposal is currently in the review stage of the EIP process and has already received early feedback from compliance experts and token standard authors.Backers of ERC-7943 include Bit2Me, Brickken, Compellio, Dekalabs, DigiShares, Hacken, Forte Protocol, FullyTokenized, RealEstate.Exchange, Stobox, and Zoth.Solving Compliance and FragmentationDario Lo Buglio, co-founder of Brickken and the EIP-7943 author, said the standard is designed to tackle developer frustration and institutional needs:“Financial institutions want programmable controls that match their compliance frameworks. Developers, on the other hand, are stuck rewriting custom logic for every RWA token. We needed a common foundation.”By defining only what must exist—not how it’s built—ERC-7943 is flexible and modular, allowing any protocol or institution to adopt it without vendor lock-in.Rising Institutional Demand for RWAsThe launch of ERC-7943 coincides with surging demand for real-world assets onchain. Data from RWA.xyz shows:Total value of tokenized RWAs: $28.44 billion (+6% in the last 30 days).Stablecoin value: up 7%.RWA asset holders: up 9%.Lo Buglio described this as a “perfect storm of institutional interest”, stressing the need for standardization to ensure interoperability and compliance at scale.Comparison With Previous StandardsPrevious Ethereum standards attempted to address RWA tokenization but faced limitations:ERC-1400: Hybrid fungible/non-fungible token model with compliance tools but storage-heavy.ERC-3643: Strong for securities with KYC/AML layers but tightly coupled to its own identity framework.By contrast, ERC-7943 is minimal and implementation-agnostic, providing a baseline interface for compliance while allowing projects to build on top with their own infrastructure.Market ImpactAs RWAs expand, ERC-7943 could serve as the default compliance layer across Ethereum and EVM chains, improving composability, interoperability, and institutional adoption.Lo Buglio emphasized:“EIP-7943’s primary goal is to solve industry fragmentation by providing a single, standardized set of functions for compliance.”