Small metals like copper are also attracting capital inflows as gold and silver continue to hit record highs. Blockchain technology could act as a bridge and allow this capital to enter the crypto market through tokenization.
Several indicators suggest that copper may be entering a similar upswing to silver, with tokenized copper potentially experiencing explosive growth in 2026.
Copper demand could continue to grow rapidly over the next 15 years
Toto Finance, an institutional commodity tokenization platform, predicts that global copper demand could reach around 42 million tonnes by 2040. Meanwhile, supply is expected to peak around 2030 and decline thereafter.
Copper demand and supply (2025-2040). Source: Toto Finance
According to TOTO Finance’s “Copper Supply vs. Demand (2025-2040)” graph, demand will steadily increase to nearly 40 million tons by 2040. Meanwhile, the supply curve will peak at around 28-30 million tonnes in 2030 and then decline sharply. This will further widen the gap between demand and supply.
This is not a temporary cycle. This represents a structural imbalance, making copper a strategic resource. Toto Finance highlights that tokenization will be a new way to access, own and add liquidity to copper, turning it into a digital asset that can be more easily traded.
“This is not a cycle, but a structural gap. As copper becomes strategic, access, ownership and liquidity will evolve through tokenization,” Toto Finance predicted.
Many analysts believe that a copper shortage has officially begun and is likely to worsen over time. Mike Investing claims that the amount of copper that will need to be mined in the next 18 years will be equal to the amount mined in the past 10,000 years. He believes copper prices could rise two to five times within the next 14 months.
Over the next 18 years, 10,000 years’ worth of #copper will be mined.
The copper shortage has officially begun and will only get worse.
Breaking out of 20 years of resistance Copper prices are about to soar.
This could easily increase by 2-5x within the next 14 months.
Save this for later… pic.twitter.com/N87gA7jBzK
— Mike Investing (@MrMikeInvesting) January 30, 2026
AI and grid expansion are key drivers
One of the main drivers of copper demand growth is the AI boom and the expansion of global power grids. Katusa Research notes that demand from AI infrastructure and electrification will make copper increasingly scarce.
Copper demand from new data centers alone is expected to reach approximately 400,000 tonnes per year through 2035. Electric cars also require three times more copper than traditional internal combustion engine cars.
Modern defense systems and drones are further increasing the demand for electronics, pushing global supply towards dangerously low levels.
New mining projects can take up to 17 years to bring to production. At the same time, ore quality is declining and major mines are closing. These factors have exacerbated the supply-demand imbalance.
Early signs emerging in the crypto market
Cryptocurrency investors’ exposure to tokenized copper and copper-related real world assets (RWA) remains limited. However, demand for tokenized gold and silver trading has recently shown signs of growth.
Some early indicators are already emerging. The tokenized version of Ondo’s Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPXON) expanded in market capitalization in January. COPXON quickly reached a market cap of $3 million in the first week.
Global X Copper Miners ETF (COPXON) Market Cap Source: Coingeco
Remora Markets, a platform for trading tokenized stocks on Solana, also reported an increase in revenue reaching $110 million. This increase was driven by demand for tokenized Nasdaq stocks and metal-related assets.
Copper rStock (CPERr) AUM over time. Source: Dune
The total value of Copper rStock (CPERr) in the Red Shark market soared in the last week of January. While this number is still small, it may provide an early indication of how crypto investors want exposure to metal assets such as copper.
Tokenization is also a theme that industry leaders expect to accelerate in 2026. This could create opportunities for new startup ideas and open new possibilities for traders.
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