Deep Dive to RWA: How Tokenization Could Accelerate Robotaxi Adoption?
Last updated
Last updated
Tesla is poised to unveil its robotaxi service on June 22nd in Austin, Texas, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of urban transportation. This development represents more than the debut of a new ride-hailing option—it offers a glimpse into a future shaped by autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies.
As the autonomous mobility sector matures, the intersection with blockchain innovation—particularly asset tokenization—could play a critical role in accelerating its adoption.
This blog explores the rapidly evolving robotaxi landscape, the promise of autonomous transportation, and the powerful role tokenization plays in making this vision scalable and accessible to a global investor base.
A robotaxi is an autonomous, AI-driven vehicle that offers on-demand ride-hailing services without the need for a human driver. These next-gen vehicles are equipped with cutting-edge hardware — LiDAR, radar, cameras, ultrasonic sensors — and software systems that process real-time data through machine learning and neural networks. This enables them to navigate complex environments safely and efficiently.
Unlike traditional ride-sharing or taxi services, robotaxis operate independently and are designed to minimize human error, optimize fuel usage or battery life, and reduce congestion through smart routing.
The global robotaxi market is projected to grow exponentially, reaching tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. This growth is driven by a confluence of technological advances, urban mobility challenges, regulatory momentum, and environmental concerns.
To understand where current robotaxis stand, it's helpful to look at the SAE levels of driving automation, a standardized classification system:
Level 0: No automation; all functions controlled by a human.
Level 1: Basic driver assistance (e.g., adaptive cruise control); the driver must remain in full control.
Level 2: Partial automation of acceleration and steering under specific conditions (e.g., Tesla Autopilot), but human oversight is mandatory.
Level 3: Conditional autonomy; the vehicle can handle most tasks in certain environments but requires driver intervention when prompted.
Level 4: High automation within defined operational design domains (ODDs); the system manages all driving tasks within set boundaries without requiring human input.
Level 5: Full autonomy in any environment, eliminating the need for human drivers altogether.
Currently, most commercial robotaxi services operate within Level 4, typically restricted to specific zones with the option for remote human supervision.
Market Leaders in Autonomous Ride-Hailing
Waymo: Backed by Alphabet, Waymo operates fully driverless services in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Tokyo, with plans for Austin. Their systems are built on extensive simulation and real-world data, and they deploy all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUV as its primary vehicle.
Tesla: Tesla aims to transition from Level 2 Full Self-Driving (FSD) features to a higher autonomy level. Their robotaxi service in Austin—starting with a limited fleet—is a step toward a fully autonomous ride-hailing model. Tesla’s data advantage and integrated hardware-software stack distinguish its approach.
WeRide: This Chinese company operates across multiple continents, including China, the UAE, Singapore, and France. WeRide emphasizes sensor modularity and strategic partnerships to scale deployment in both domestic and international markets.
Robotaxis are not just about eliminating drivers — they’re a fundamental paradigm shift in urban mobility.
1. Road Safety
Human error contributes to over 90% of vehicle collisions. Robotaxis, designed with consistent and fault-tolerant logic, are expected to significantly reduce accidents, saving lives and reducing liability.
2. Operational Efficiency
Autonomous fleets operate 24/7, avoid peak-hour inefficiencies, and dynamically adjust to demand. This improves traffic flow, reduces travel times, and enhances the scalability of ride-hailing platforms.
3. Cost Savings
Removing the driver from the equation reduces operating expenses for ride hailing service operators. As hardware costs decline over time, robotaxi platforms can achieve more competitive pricing and higher margins.
Technology Spillover
The development of autonomous vehicles stimulates advancements in AI, sensor design, and urban systems, pushing forward adjacent technologies and infrastructure innovations.
Despite their long-term value proposition, robotaxis demand enormous upfront investment:
R&D and software development
Vehicle manufacturing and retrofitting
Sensor stacks (LiDAR, radar, HD cameras)
Data infrastructure for AI training
Regulatory and insurance compliance
Traditional financing models — limited to venture capital or debt financing — slow down deployment and concentrate ownership in the hands of large corporations. While robotaxis offer a compelling future, the immense capital required for fleets is a hurdle. This is where tokenization can be a game-changer.
Asset tokenization refers to converting real-world assets into digital tokens recorded on a blockchain. These tokens represent ownership, rights, or economic interest in the physical asset—whether a car, building, or commodity.
In the case of robotaxis, tokenization can create digital representations of vehicle ownership or revenue-sharing rights, enabling fractional investment and broader access to capital.
More on this concept can be found in our Beginner’s Guide to RWA Tokenization.
The concept of tokenizing real-world assets is gaining significant traction across multiple industries. By bringing traditionally illiquid or fragmented assets onto the blockchain, tokenization is reshaping how value is stored, transferred, and accessed globally. Analysts estimate the tokenized RWA market could grow to $19 trillion by 2033, fueled by technological maturity, regulatory clarity, and growing investor demand for diversified digital portfolios.
Examples of Tokenized RWA Categories:
Real Estate: Entire buildings, apartments, or land parcels are being tokenized to allow shared ownership. Platforms like RealT and BrickMark enable users to earn proportional rental income or capital gains from property appreciation.
Commodities: Tokenized gold (e.g., PAXG, XAUT), silver, and oil provide exposure to commodity markets without the need to hold physical reserves. These tokens are typically backed 1:1 with assets stored in vaults, combining the tangibility of traditional assets with blockchain liquidity.
Corporate Bonds and Equities: Companies are experimenting with issuing debt and equity instruments on-chain. These tokenized securities can offer real-time settlement, automated dividend payments, and 24/7 market access, reducing friction in capital markets.
Advantages of Blockchain Technology:
Enhanced Security: Cryptographic security and distributed nature make records immutable and virtually impossible to alter.
Greater Transparency: Permissioned participants can see the same information simultaneously, fostering trust.
Instant Traceability: An unalterable audit trail documents asset provenance.
Increased Efficiency and Speed: Streamlines processes by eliminating intermediaries.
Automation through Smart Contracts: Self-executing contracts automate agreements when predefined conditions are met.
Decentralizing Ownership for Rapid Scaling
The research, development, manufacturing, and deployment costs for autonomous vehicles are astronomically high. Tokenization offers a powerful solution by decentralizing ownership. By converting ownership rights of robotaxis into digital tokens on a blockchain, AV developers can tap into a global pool of investors. This crowdfunding-like approach can significantly accelerate fundraising, enabling faster manufacturing and deployment.
For investors, this offers fractional ownership of high-value assets and the potential for passive income directly from the robotaxi's operations. This creates a strong incentive for investors to support the industry's growth.
Global Acceptance and Emerging Market Opportunities
Public perception of autonomous vehicles is evolving. While hesitancy remains in countries like the US and UK, other regions show high receptivity:
India and China: Acceptance rates exceed 75%, driven by technological optimism and government support.
Singapore: Recently announced to push AV deployment over the next five years to enhance public transport efficiency.
These developments signal growing institutional and public momentum in favor of autonomous mobility, particularly in Asia-Pacific and emerging markets.
Investor Readiness and The Missing Link
The financial landscape is also ready for asset tokenization. CoinGecko's 2025 RWA Report highlights a significant surge in fiat-backed stablecoins, increasing by +$97 billion to reach an all-time high of $224.9 billion between 2024 and April 2025. This indicates growing investor comfort with digital tokens.
With clear capital needs, increasing public and government acceptance, and growing investor appetite for digital assets, the missing piece is an efficient and trusted platform to connect robotaxi operators with global investors.
In the landscape of real-world asset tokenization, Musubi stands out as a purpose-built solution tailored for the mobility sector. Developed by MVL, a blockchain mobility ecosystem operating ride-hailing and EV services in Southeast Asia, Musubi enables the seamless tokenization of vehicles, transforming them into accessible, investable digital assets.
Rather than treating vehicles as static assets, Musubi treats them as dynamic financial instruments. Each robotaxi or commercial vehicle integrated into the platform is linked to smart contracts that define ownership rights, lease terms, and revenue distribution logic. These rights are embedded into NFTs and digital tokens, each uniquely tied to a specific vehicle and its operational lifecycle.
What sets Musubi apart is its sector-specific architecture. It accounts for the complexities of real-time vehicle data — such as maintenance schedules, mileage, GPS data, and revenue logs — and ensures that all of this information is securely recorded on-chain. This not only builds trust among investors but also makes the underlying asset more transparent and verifiable.
Furthermore, Musubi holds a potential to bridge the gap between robotaxi fleet operators and global investors by enabling capital inflow without traditional intermediaries. Fleet owners gain immediate access to tokenized funding, while investors gain exposure to income-generating physical assets with full blockchain traceability. The system creates a circular ecosystem where real-world usage drives token value, and token holders help scale the physical infrastructure of urban transportation.
By offering a vertically integrated blockchain layer for vehicle financing, Musubi positions itself as the missing financial infrastructure needed to unlock robotaxi scalability on a global level.
