Real-world assets have become one of the most enduring narratives in blockchain. Much of the focus so far has centered on familiar categories such as real estate, commodities, and private credit. These assets have helped establish tokenization as a credible financial mechanism, but they represent only part of a much broader landscape.
Alongside these traditional categories, creative intellectual property is increasingly being explored as a real-world asset class in its own right. With global revenues exceeding $200 billion and continued growth driven by digital content, creator-led brands, and fan economies, creative IP occupies a unique position at the intersection of culture, technology, and finance.
Music royalties, film and television rights, character IP, literary works, digital art, and user-generated content all generate substantial economic value. Yet despite their scale, these assets have historically been difficult to access, trade, or finance efficiently. Ownership structures are complex, markets are fragmented, and participation is typically limited to a small group of intermediaries.
As tokenization frameworks continue to develop, creative IP is increasingly being examined through the lens of real-world assets.
Real-world assets beyond real estate
The expansion of real-world assets on-chain is no longer confined to a single sector. Asset managers and financial institutions are exploring tokenization as a way to improve efficiency, reduce friction, and broaden access across a wide range of asset types. In this context, diversification is increasingly seen as a defining feature of the next phase of RWA growth.
Creative assets align naturally with this shift. They are global by design, routinely licensed and distributed across borders, and already supported by well-established revenue models. Tokenization does not replace these systems, but rather introduces a new layer of infrastructure that can make ownership, revenue flows, and rights management more transparent and programmable.
For investors, this opens the door to exposure beyond property-centric assets or high-minimum private markets. For creators and rights holders, it presents alternative pathways to finance, distribute, and manage their intellectual property in a more flexible way.
Why monetizing creative IP remains complex
Despite the scale of the creative economy, many creators struggle to capture the full value of their work. Ownership can be difficult to verify across jurisdictions. Royalty structures vary widely between platforms and territories. Licensing agreements are often opaque, and payouts can be delayed or difficult to audit.
These challenges also affect investors. Gaining exposure to creative IP typically requires navigating complex legal frameworks or relying on large rights aggregators, limiting participation to institutional players with the resources to manage these structures.
Tokenization introduces a different approach. By representing ownership or revenue rights on-chain, IP assets can be tracked more transparently and, in some cases, divided into fractional units. This does not eliminate legal complexity, but it can simplify how rights are recorded, transferred, and monitored, particularly in digital-first environments.
As a result, creative IP begins to behave more like an active financial asset.
From static rights to programmable assets
When intellectual property is represented on-chain, it becomes possible to automate certain aspects of ownership and revenue distribution. Smart contracts can be used to route royalties according to predefined terms, reducing reliance on manual processes and centralized intermediaries.
This model is already being explored across several creative sectors. In fine art and collectibles, fractional ownership has introduced new liquidity models. In music and digital media, royalty-backed tokens are being tested as alternative funding mechanisms. Gaming ecosystems are experimenting with player-owned characters and worlds that carry economic value beyond a single platform.
Together, these developments highlight a growing convergence between traditional Web2 revenue streams and Web3 infrastructure. Rather than replacing existing systems, tokenization is increasingly being layered on top of them.
The emergence of tokenized creative IP platforms
Within this broader shift, a number of platforms are beginning to focus specifically on the intersection of creative IP and tokenization. One example is BeatSwap, which is exploring how creative assets such as music rights and royalty streams can be represented and traded on-chain.
Rather than positioning creative IP as a niche or experimental category, platforms in this space are treating it as an asset class with established revenue models that can benefit from improved transparency and liquidity. By focusing on royalty-backed structures, these approaches aim to align creators, rights holders, and market participants around shared economic incentives.
The emergence of platforms like BeatSwap reflects a wider industry effort to translate familiar creative revenue streams into formats that can operate within tokenized markets. While these models are still developing, they illustrate how creative IP is beginning to move from conceptual discussions into practical experimentation.
A market gaining momentum, with open questions
As the real-world asset narrative expands beyond traditional categories, creative IP is drawing increased attention for its scale, global reach, and digital-native revenue models. Licensing, royalties, and global distribution are already well established, making creative assets a natural area of exploration as tokenization infrastructure matures.
At the same time, tokenized creative IP remains an evolving market. Standards for valuation, rights enforcement, and regulation continue to take shape, and many creators remain cautious about how financialization intersects with creative control.
Infrastructure development is gradually addressing some of these challenges. Verifiable on-chain ownership, emerging liquidity models, and specialized platforms are beginning to bridge cultural value and financial access. Rather than a finished market, creative IP represents an ecosystem still in formation, shaped by experimentation across creators, investors, and technology providers.
Disclosure: Insider Monkey doesn’t recommend purchase of any securities/currencies. Insider Monkey received compensation to publish this article. We don’t guarantee the accuracy of the statements made in this article. Insider Monkey and its principals are not affiliated with the client and have no ownership in the client’s business. Insider Monkey doesn’t recommend the purchase/sale of any securities, cryptocurrencies, or ICOs. Please get in touch with a financial professional before making any financial decisions. You understand that Insider Monkey doesn’t accept any responsibility and you will be using the information presented here at your own risk. You acknowledge that this disclaimer is a simplified version of our Terms of Use, and by accessing or using our site, you agree to be bound by all of its terms and conditions. If at any time you find these terms and conditions unacceptable, you must immediately leave the Site and cease all use of the Site.
