A dollar-linked stablecoin built to meet Islamic finance standards is now operating on a new blockchain network anchored in the Middle East, adding a second digital currency to a settlement platform backed by some of Abu Dhabi’s biggest financial names. Related Reading: Consistent XRP Buys Could Deliver Outsized Gains By 2030: Finance Expert Backed By Gulf Currencies, Not Just The Dollar PUSD, issued by Palm Azgar Finance, holds reserves in Saudi riyals and UAE dirhams — both pegged to the US dollar — rather than holding US dollars directly. That structure is central to its Shariah-compliant design, which is aimed at institutions operating under Islamic finance rules that prohibit interest and require asset backing. The stablecoin has roughly $2.3 billion in circulation and runs on several major blockchains, including Ethereum, BNB Chain, Solana, and Tron. ADI Chain is its newest addition. ADI Chain was built as a settlement layer for a dirham-backed token that came out of a partnership between International Holding Company and First Abu Dhabi Bank. The Central Bank of the UAE licensed it. With PUSD now on board, institutions using the network can settle transactions in either a dollar-linked or dirham-denominated token operating on the same platform. The ADI Foundation says the network is designed to support payment corridors across the Gulf, broader Middle East, and parts of Africa. A $3 Trillion Market In The Crosshairs Islamic finance assets are estimated at more than $3 trillion worldwide, according to the ADI Foundation. That market has traditionally been served by conventional banks and funds operating under Shariah guidelines, but blockchain-based alternatives have struggled to break through at scale. Sharia Law At A Glance Shariah law forbids interest, limits speculation, and requires financial instruments to be backed by real assets — rules that disqualify most crypto products outright. For a stablecoin to meet that standard, it must hold verifiable reserves and generate no interest-based returns. Certification from a board of qualified Islamic scholars is typically required, though the report does not confirm whether PUSD has obtained one. PUSD’s move onto ADI Chain is a bid to change that, targeting corporate treasuries, exchanges, and payment processors looking for compliant digital settlement tools. The UAE has become one of the more active regulatory environments for stablecoins. Several frameworks have been put in place by the Central Bank and the Abu Dhabi Global Market, covering both dirham-pegged and dollar-denominated tokens. Related Reading: A New Phase For XRP? Integrations Keep Rolling In Across The Ecosystem Global Players Already In The UAE Space Approvals have also been extended to established names. Tether, Ripple USD, and Circle have all been cleared to operate within the ADGM financial zone by its Financial Services Regulatory Authority. That puts PUSD in a field that includes some of the largest stablecoin issuers in the world, competing for a share of institutional transaction flow in one of the region’s most active financial hubs. Featured image from Unsplash, chart from TradingView
The world’s largest crypto exchange has listed a batch of tokenized U.S. equities issued by Ondo Finance on its Binance Alpha platform, reviving stock trading push.
Reports say a wealthy Abu Dhabi investor bought a near-half stake in a crypto company tied to the Trump family. The transaction, reported to be worth about $500 million, involved an entity linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It has prompted questions in Washington and stirred activity in the markets where the company’s token trades. Related Reading: Mastercard Stresses Crypto Is An Enhancement, Not A Substitute Sheikh A Reported Buyer According to reporting by major outlets, Aryam Investment 1 — an investor connected to Sheikh Tahnoon — agreed to purchase roughly 49% of World Liberty Financial, known as WLFI. The payment was structured in phases, with about $250 million reported as an initial transfer. Reports note roughly $187 million moved to entities associated with the Trump family, while another $31 million reportedly went to companies tied to cofounders. JUST IN: ???????????????? President Trump says he did not know Abu Dhabi invested $500 million in his World Liberty crypto project. “I don’t know about it. My sons are handling that, I guess they get investments from people.” pic.twitter.com/AOBosetnpE — Bitcoin Black (@Bitcoinblacck) February 2, 2026 Timing And Deal Details The timing of the sale matters. It was completed shortly before an important political milestone for the buyer’s partner, and that has sharpened scrutiny. Some lawmakers and ethics experts raised alarms about a high-value foreign-backed investment in a business tied to a sitting US President. Others point out that private business dealings are common and that the legal thresholds for disclosure can be complex. Market participants reacted quickly; trading in WLFI-linked assets saw spikes in volume and price swings as news spread. Trump Responds When journalists pressed him about the report, US President Donald Trump denied having knowledge of the transaction. “I don’t know about it,” he said, adding that his sons run many family business matters. The remark was brief but clear: he insisted the family manages WLFI and that he was not personally involved in negotiating the sale. Some aides later reiterated that any operational decisions were handled by company executives and family members. Related Reading: Crypto Hacks Explode: $370 Million Stolen In January Alone: Researchers Reactions From Lawmakers And Regulators Reports say lawmakers from both parties want answers. A handful of senators have asked for briefings and documents, and a few regulators have been asked to look at whether any disclosure rules were followed. At the same time, legal experts caution that an investment by a foreign-backed firm is not automatically illegal or disqualifying. What matters, they say, are the exact terms, who signed which papers, and whether any statutory reporting obligations were met. Featured image from Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images, chart from TradingView
Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority has granted licenses to three Binance entities covering exchange, clearing, and brokerage functions.
The designation means licensed firms can use the dollar-pegged token for regulated activities, placing it into a small group of tokens permitted by the ADGM’s ring-fenced financial system.
Animoca Brands received in-principle approval from Abu Dhabi’s FSRA to operate as a regulated fund manager within ADGM.
The company sees bitcoin as a store of value, similar to gold, a spokesperson told Bloomberg.
Farms caught mining cryptocurrency will face penalties, including a fine of 100,000 dirham ($27,000), doubled for repeat offenses.
With licenses held in Europe and now expanding in the Middle East, the firm aims to become a global on-chain asset manager.
The issuance of the first digital bond lays the groundwork for a broader set of tokenized assets like Islamic bonds and real estate products, ADX Group CEO said.
The issuance of the first digital bond lays the groundwork for a broader set of tokenized assets like Islamic bonds and real estate products, ADX Group CEO said.
The firm has received in-principle approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM.
Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, has secured initial approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi. The approval, announced on April 29, allows Circle to move closer to receiving a full Financial Services Permission (FSP) to operate within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This progress comes just months after Circle’s […]
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It's the first institutional investment in the crypto exchange and the investment was made in stablecoin, Binance said.
The investment enables participation in Kinto’s mining program, which rewards asset deposits on the chain with token emission.
Malaysia is reportedly exploring cryptocurrency regulations after its prime minister held discussions with Abu Dhabi leaders and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao.
Babylon co-founder and chief technology officer Fisher Yu said DeFi on Bitcoin can evolve faster than other ecosystems by learning from the mistakes of the broader DeFi space.
Beam Ventures will launch in 2025, providing funding and acceleration for blockchain gaming startups in the United Arab Emirates.
Coinbase’s Project Diamond has adopted the Chainlink Standard to drive institutional adoption of digital assets, according to a Dec. 10 statement shared with CryptoSlate. Project Diamond, managed by Coinbase Asset Management, focuses on serving institutional users outside the US. It leverages a comprehensive infrastructure that includes Coinbase Prime custody, the Prime Onchain Wallet, the Project […]
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Tether’s USDT stablecoin has been approved as an Accepted Virtual Asset (AVA) by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), according to a Dec. 10 statement. The landmark decision, granted by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), allows licensed entities within the jurisdiction to offer services involving USDT under ADGM’s regulatory framework. The approval marks a […]
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OneDegree executive Robin Scott told Cointelegraph that the insurance covers Web3 asset managers against the risk of losing customer funds.
The fund aims to advance decentralized infrastructure and blockchain adoption and support talent from the US, Asia, Europe and the MENA region.
Singapore-based Liminal won approval to operate as a regulated custodian, another sign of its expanding footprint in the APAC and MENA regions.
Both companies plan to develop new institutional digital offerings, while QCP is set to open an Abu Dhabi shop.
Phoenix was looking to sell almost 18% of the company for a target raise of $368 million.