Carbonmark at ONCHAIN 2025: Scaling Climate Finance with Tokenized Carbon Credits
The ONCHAIN 2025 summit in Bangkok was billed as the destination for those shaping the future of digital finance—and it delivered. From sovereign-grade stablecoins to tokenized equities and debt instruments, panelists and attendees were aligned on one key point: the real world is coming onchain.
But amid the buzz surrounding public equities and private credit, the spotlight shifted to a different kind of real-world asset—one with the power to address the most urgent challenge of our time: climate change.
At the “Tokenise Everything: Emerging RWA Opportunities in 2025” session, Carbonmark co-founder Alex Taylor made a compelling case for carbon credits as the next major asset class to benefit from tokenization.
“Carbon credits are not just a new frontier for RWAs—they’re the frontier where blockchain has the highest potential for impact.”
Carbon Markets: An Opportunity Hindered by Inefficient System
As the panel delved into the tokenization of treasuries, real estate, and corporate bonds, Alex Taylor introduced a different kind of opportunity: the voluntary carbon market (VCM). Despite projections that the VCM could grow to $50 billion by 2030, Alex Taylor pointed out that today’s market is still plagued by inefficiencies, opacity, and limited access.
“It’s an OTC-dominated market where credits change hands through opaque broker networks. These middlemen extract outsized value without delivering additional transparency or liquidity. As a result, much of the capital never reaches the projects that generate climate impact,” said Alex.
The consequence? A market that is fragmented, inefficient, and unable to scale to meet the urgency of the climate crisis.
Tokenization as Market Solution: Blockchain Advantage
Alex Taylor emphasized that blockchain isn’t just a buzzword for the carbon market—it’s a transformational tool. By leveraging smart contracts and decentralized infrastructure, tokenization can:
Eliminate pricing opacity by enabling transparent, onchain markets
Reduce friction and fees through peer-to-peer trading models
Expand accessibility via microtransactions and digital wallets
Ensure traceability of credit retirement and impact delivery
“The potential of tokenized carbon is not hypothetical. It’s already happening. Carbonmark and its partners' network have a diverse portfolio of 25 million tokenized carbon credits and are driving real-world adoption through integrations with partners across the world,” Alex noted.
Regulatory Realities: The Push and Pull of Legacy Systems
Despite these advances, Alex Taylor acknowledged the regulatory headwinds facing blockchain-based carbon projects. Some of the largest carbon standards remain skeptical or outright resistant to onchain systems, fearing disruption or a loss of centralized control.
Alex explained:
“We see two camps forming. Newer registries like Puro.Earth are embracing blockchain from the ground up. Meanwhile, incumbents are slower to adopt, often citing risk or reputational concerns.”
But there’s cause for optimism: NASDAQ’s recent acquisition of a majority stake in Puro.Earth, and its decision to transition the registry onto blockchain rails, signals that institutional sentiment is shifting.
“When a global exchange like NASDAQ backs tokenized carbon, it’s a major validation of the space. It tells us this market is evolving—and fast.”
Retail vs. Institutional Demand: Unlocking the Market
When asked how an individual can participate in this emerging market, Alex Taylor drew a distinction between speculative trading and climate-aligned action.
“Carbon credits aren’t just another yield-bearing asset. They’re designed to be consumed—to account for emissions and support climate action. That said, the infrastructure is here for both corporates and crypto-native individuals to participate,” he said.
For example:
Corporates can purchase and retire verified credits via Carbonmark
Retail users can access carbon tokens and decentralized markets through Klima Protocol, Carbonmark’s partner
Alex also hinted at major infrastructure upgrades ahead:
“Over the coming months, Klima Protocol's new infrastructure will be redeployed on the Base blockchain, bringing forward a new model that internalizes key lessons from the past four years of experimentation.”
The Big Bet: Tokenized Carbon Will Hit $50B by 2030
In closing, moderator Kenny Lee asked panelists to place their bets: What RWA segment will unlock the next $10 billion in value?
Without hesitation, Taylor’s answer was carbon.
“We’re already seeing exponential interest—from project developers, from exchanges, from institutional allocators. We’ve got the ingredients for a scalable, transparent carbon market. The challenge is alignment. But once that clicks, we’ll go vertical,” Alex said.
Conclusion: Climate Action at Speed
Carbonmark’s presence at ONCHAIN 2025 marks a turning point. While much of the RWA industry is focused on replicating financial assets onchain, Carbonmark is pioneering a new frontier: the tokenization of environmental impact itself.
As Alex Taylor put it:
“Tokenization isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about equity. When capital flows directly to the projects that are removing CO₂, everyone wins—the climate, the communities, and the carbon buyers.”
At Carbonmark, the tokenization of carbon is not about speculation—it’s about climate action, potentially embedded in every transaction.
About Carbonmark
At Carbonmark, we’re building the infrastructure for an open, efficient, and scalable carbon market. As onchain marketplace for carbon credits, we enable businesses and individuals to discover, purchase, and retire verified carbon credits with full transparency and traceability—no intermediaries, no hidden markups.
Powered by blockchain technology, Carbonmark connects buyers directly with high-impact environmental projects worldwide, ensuring that capital flows where it’s needed most: to the frontlines of climate action. Whether you’re a corporate buyer looking to meet sustainability goals or a developer ready to bring your credits onchain, Carbonmark offers the tools, data, and liquidity to make it happen.
