# REAL overview (/docs)



## What is REAL? [#what-is-real]

REAL is building a financial network that brings network operation, asset rules, and accountable services into one operating model. Its dedicated chain is part of the financial product: it gives REAL control over validator participation, fees, execution capacity, and the governance of network changes.

## Three layers of the financial network [#three-layers-of-the-financial-network]

### Real Chain [#real-chain]

Real Chain is the network layer: a dedicated Layer 1 compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). It gives REAL its own validator set, blockspace, fee policy, and upgrade path for the financial applications built on it.

### Tokenization Engine: the asset layer [#tokenization-engine-the-asset-layer]

The Tokenization Engine supports permissioned asset tokens using ERC-3643, a token standard with identity and transfer controls. It brings together token contracts, investor identities, trusted claims, and configurable rules. Issuers and authorized operators use these components to manage the token through its lifecycle.

### Business Validator Protocol: the trust layer [#business-validator-protocol-the-trust-layer]

The Business Validator Protocol defines responsibilities for tokenization, scoring, and insurance participants. Its design connects assigned work to stake, rewards, and enforcement. These are business responsibilities associated with assets; they are separate from validating the network's blocks.

## Who these docs are for [#who-these-docs-are-for]

| Reader                                 | Main questions                                                                             |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Issuers and asset operators            | How is an asset represented, who can hold it, and who may manage it?                       |
| Investors                              | What can I acquire, what can the issuer change, and how do verification and recovery work? |
| Institutions and compliance teams      | Who controls upgrades, identities, and external inputs, and what review evidence exists?   |
| Application developers and integrators | How do the network, token contracts, and identity rules fit together?                      |
| Business Validator participants        | Which responsibilities belong to each role, and how does accountability work?              |
| Network operators                      | What is the network's role, and how does it differ from asset operations?                  |

## How to read this edition [#how-to-read-this-edition]

Start with the system architecture on the next page, or follow the path that matches your task:

* **Investor:** [investor workflow](/docs/tokenization/investor-workflow) → [offerings](/docs/tokenization/offerings) → [secondary trading](/docs/tokenization/secondary-trading).
* **Issuer:** [issuer workflow](/docs/tokenization/issuer-workflow) → [asset information](/docs/tokenization/asset-information) → [token operations](/docs/tokenization/operations).
* **Institution or compliance team:** [trust model](/docs/resources/trust-model) → [security and audits](/docs/resources/security-and-audits) → [identity rules](/docs/tokenization/identity).
* **Business Validator:** [admission preparation](/docs/business-validators/become-a-validator) → [protocol parameters](/docs/business-validators/parameters) → [worked examples](/docs/business-validators/examples).
* **Developer or integrator:** [networks](/docs/chain/networks) → [tested quickstart](/docs/chain/build) → [platform integration](/docs/tokenization/integration).
* **Network operator:** [network architecture](/docs/chain/architecture#network-validators). This role is separate from Business Validator participation.

Testnet references state their verification date and environment. [Documentation status](/docs/resources/documentation-status) tracks remaining production and operational gaps.