According to CoinMeta, Bitwise's Chief Investment Officer, Matt Hougan, stated on September 17, 2026, that the trend of tokenization has become a phenomenon that cannot be ignored. On that day, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) opened up new pathways for the trading of tokenized stocks, and S&P P Global agreed to acquire OpenZeppelin, which led to an increase in the value of DEFI's assets. Hougan noted that tokenization represents a multi-year transformation in finance, rather than a short-term transaction. He compared it to the early stages of the AI craze, pointing out that when Nvidia was launched in November 2022, its stock price was $16, and it rose to $46 a year later, representing a 176% increase. He believes that investors should not regret missing out on this opportunity but should continue to increase their holdings. The new innovation exemption from SEC allows certain platforms to trade actual tokenized U.S. stocks on public blockchains, with the exemption covering shares that enjoy the same rights as traditional stocks, including dividends and voting rights. S&P P Global's acquisition of OpenZeppelin, a leading smart contract security company, brings this firm into the fold of traditional rating agencies, enhancing their ability to assess tokenized assets.