World Gold Council sees digital gold market expanding as tokenised holdings reach $55bn
Tokenised gold investment products are gaining traction as the gold industry looks for new ways to attract younger investors through more easily traded formats. The market is now valued at about $45 billion to $55 billion, equivalent to roughly 370 tonnes of gold, and the World Gold Council expects further rapid growth through 2031.
Highlights
- The World Gold Council reports the digital gold market has grown 2.5 to 3 times since early 2025, with over 70 products launched globally.
- The council projects digital gold holdings could rise 27 percent annually, reaching as much as $170 billion by 2031 under its base-case scenario.
- Boston Consulting Group notes tokenised gold spot trading volumes surpassed $90 billion in Q1 2026, exceeding total volumes for all of 2025.
Market growth and adoption outlook
As reported by Financial Times, citing the World Gold Council, the value of the digital gold market has risen by 2.5 to 3 times since the start of 2025, with more than 70 products now launched worldwide. The council said on Monday that it expects the segment to grow by about 27 per cent a year to as much as $170 billion by 2031 under its base-case scenario, as tokenised investment products move further into the mainstream.A unit of digital gold represents a fraction of physical bullion stored by a third-party provider or mint, distinguishing it from gold exchange-traded products where investors hold fund shares instead. The council’s investor survey puts global ownership of tokenised gold holdings at about 370 tonnes, equal to around 8 per cent of the far larger global gold ETF market.
Trading activity is also accelerating. According to a report by Boston Consulting Group, cumulative spot trading volumes in tokenised gold exceed $90 billion in the first quarter of 2026, more than in the whole of 2025.
In our earlier article on India’s disinvestment programme, we examined how most proceeds since FY2016 have come from market-based routes such as ETFs, public issues and buybacks, while strategic sales contributed a much smaller share. We also highlighted why the IDBI Bank stake sale stands out and how its completion could significantly improve the government’s annual disinvestment outcome versus recent years of missed targets.
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