Asset tokenization—the process of putting real-world assets like company shares, real estate, and legal documents on the blockchain—is gaining quiet but consequential momentum. The promise is big: faster transfers, fewer intermediaries, and wider global access.

But while the tech races ahead, governments are still struggling to keep pace. In many developing countries, ownership is still recorded on paper, leaving administrators with systems that are slow, fragile, and ripe for disruption.

Corey Billington, CEO of the asset-tokenization firm Blubird, believes those very constraints could make emerging markets the first to leapfrog into a blockchain-based future. In an interview with crypto.news, he explains why nations still tied to manual record-keeping may be uniquely positioned to adopt a more efficient, digital approach—and what that shift could unlock.