Chainlink Co-founder Highlights Tokenization At White House

Nazarov Makes the Case for Tokenization

Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov addressed the White House crypto meeting on August 19, 2026, putting asset tokenization at the centre of the conversation about America's financial future. Nazarov argued that bringing real-world assets onto blockchain networks is already producing measurable results. "There's a very real and tangible outcome that's benefiting the adoption of U.S.-issued assets and the U.S. dollar," he said.

His position reflects a broader thesis that the path to American leadership in blockchain runs through tokenizing U.S. assets onchain, making them the base layer that the global financial system builds upon. Chainlink's infrastructure, including its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) and Proof of Reserve system, sits at the centre of that vision. Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan told CNBC ahead of the meeting that tokenization could be its biggest theme, pointing to the convergence of crypto exchanges and traditional market infrastructure as financial markets increasingly move toward 24/7 trading and tokenized assets.

A High-Profile Gathering on Crypto Policy

The White House meeting brought together a broad cross-section of the crypto and traditional finance industries. Confirmed attendees included Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, Kraken CEO Arjun Sethi, and the Winklevoss twins of Gemini, alongside executives from Ripple, Andreessen Horowitz, Nasdaq, CME Group, and Intercontinental Exchange. SEC Chair Paul Atkins also attended.

The gathering served as a curtain-raiser for the CFTC's Innovation Advisory Committee inaugural meeting the following day, a 35-member body that includes Nazarov alongside other major crypto and traditional finance executives. Nazarov told CoinDesk that President Trump took the group to the Oval Office to gather feedback on the administration's next steps, including the path to passing the CLARITY Act. Trump and his advisers "thought that it was very doable," Nazarov said, noting only a handful of senators still need to be brought on board.

The CLARITY Act, which passed the House 294-134 in July 2025 and cleared the Senate Banking Committee 15-9 in May 2026, would divide regulatory jurisdiction over digital assets between the SEC and the CFTC. The bill remains stalled ahead of a Senate cloture vote scheduled for September 15. The event also followed the SEC's release of a long-awaited regulatory framework for digital assets, a move the White House views as foundational for keeping financial innovation on American soil.

Sources:
CoinDesk: Trump pushes Congress to move on Clarity Act during White House crypto event
Crypto Times: White House crypto talks as industry pushes for CLARITY Act
Benzinga: Trump scheduled for White House crypto summit as CLARITY Act stalls