Tom Lee Says Tokenization and AI Could Drive Crypto’s Next Growth Phase

Highlights:

• Tom Lee says crypto could regain attention as AI increases demand for faster digital finance.
• He believes young app users may help tokenized stocks move closer to mainstream markets.
• Lee says BlackRock’s tokenization work shows crypto rails are becoming core financial infrastructure worldwide.

Tom Lee, founder of Bitmine and long-time ETH supporter, says crypto still has strong long-term potential, even after a difficult year for digital assets. In remarks shared by TomLeeTracker on X on Friday, Lee said the next major crypto story may come from artificial intelligence (AI), tokenized stocks, and the wider move of financial assets onto blockchain-based systems.

Lee said young people are already used to managing money through apps. Because of that, he believes the next generation may also trade stocks through crypto-based platforms. “Young people today bank through apps,” Lee said. “In the future, they’re going to be trading stocks, and very likely… you’re going to be trading it on a crypto platform.”

A tokenized stock is a digital version of a real-world stock that can move on a blockchain. Lee said this shift could make markets faster and more open because crypto systems do not follow the same trading hours as traditional markets.

TOM LEE: CRYPTO IS THE DOWNSTREAM STORY OF AI AND IT'S HAPPENING NOW

BlackRock is tokenizing almost every asset. Here's what's coming:

-Young people will be trading tokenized stocks on crypto rails within 12 months
-Oil already trades on weekends via crypto rails. Almost every… pic.twitter.com/BBksetYSbo

— Tom Lee Tracker (Not actually Tom) (@TomLeeTracker) June 26, 2026

Tokenized Stocks Could Change How Investors Trade

Lee pointed to recent examples of assets trading through crypto rails, including oil-related trading over weekends. Traditional financial markets usually close after business hours and on weekends. Crypto systems, however, can operate all day and all week.

He said crypto is still difficult for many people because wallets and blockchain tools can feel confusing. However, he believes younger users are more willing to use digital platforms. “Crypto is a little hard to understand, and people don’t like to deal with wallets,” Lee said. “But young people, which is the next generation of users, are really big adopters.”

Lee also said many investors are currently focused on memory stocks because they are easier to buy and have gained attention from the artificial intelligence trade. Still, he believes crypto could later become part of the same wider AI-driven market story. According to Lee, “without question, in 12 months, we’re going to say crypto was a downstream story of AI.” He compared the current crypto market with memory stocks, which looked weak in 2024 and 2025 before moving sharply higher this year.

BlackRock’s Tokenization Push Supports the Trend

Lee also pointed to BlackRock as an example of how large financial firms are moving toward tokenization. “BlackRock is tokenizing almost every asset,” he said. “Almost every asset is going to be built on a crypto rail.”

Lee said crypto rails are more efficient because they offer final settlement and allow assets to trade around the clock. He also used the word composability. In simple terms, it means financial assets can integrate with other digital tools, such as software. Lee described the process as “turning financial assets into software.”

Lee admitted that 2026 has been a disappointing year for crypto. He called it “a big step back year,” but he said the long-term progress is still visible. His main point was that crypto may look weak in the short term, but the technology behind it is still moving into traditional finance. If tokenized stocks and other real-world assets continue to grow, crypto platforms could become a larger part of global markets.