Coinbase opens Abu Dhabi tokenisation hub

Coinbase has secured Financial Services Permission from Abu Dhabi Global Market’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), allowing it to establish an international tokenisation hub in Abu Dhabi.

The approval allows Coinbase to arrange investment deals and provide custody services as it prepares to launch tokenised securities through ADGM.

The company said the securities will be backed by underlying shares and subject to FSRA supervision, with eligible token holders able to receive shareholder rights and economic benefits.

Brett Tejpaul, Co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional, said ADGM’s early regulatory approach to virtual assets made it an important base for the company’s plans.

“ADGM issued one of the world's first regulatory frameworks for virtual assets in 2018,” he said, adding that Coinbase aims to develop infrastructure that treats tokenised equities as securities, blockchain-native assets and DeFi-composable assets.

The development forms part of Coinbase’s wider UAE strategy. Abu Dhabi will host its tokenised securities and on-chain capital markets hub, while Dubai will become a global hub for derivatives.