# 8.1 Introduction to RWA

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Real-World Assets (RWA) refer to the digitization of a variety of physical assets such as real estate, stocks, artwork, and their representation as tokens on a blockchain. Through the tokenization of RWAs, individuals can gain ownership of physical assets and enjoy a more flexible form of trading. This democratizes asset ownership, allowing individuals of any financial standing to partake in investments. RWAs encompass tangible and intangible assets. Tangible assets include real estate, artwork, precious metals, vehicles, sports clubs, and race horses, etc., whereas intangible assets include stocks and bonds, intellectual property rights, investment funds, synthetic assets, revenue share agreements, cash, and accounts receivable, etc.
