ADX partners with DFNS to deploy digital asset wallet, tokenisation capability

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group has signed an agreement with DFNS to introduce enterprise-grade wallet infrastructure and tokenisation services as part of its digital-assets strategy.

ADX and DFNS to build on‑chain infrastructure

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group has entered a strategic agreement with DFNS, a custody technology provider, to deploy a digital asset wallet and tokenisation capability to support on‑chain assets. The move forms part of ADX’s wider plan to expand the market infrastructure required for issuing, listing and trading digital assets in the UAE and beyond.

Under the arrangement ADX will use DFNS’s enterprise wallet infrastructure, positioning the exchange among the first regional financial market operators to integrate institutional‑grade wallet and tokenisation services. DFNS, founded in 2020, provides infrastructure that can operate across in excess of 30 blockchains and some 1,000 tokens, and is designed for banks, fintechs and other financial institutions.

ADX has been advancing a programme of initiatives to support tokenised products, including the listing of digitally native bonds and the development of tokenised equities. The agreement with DFNS is intended to lay the technical foundations for a broader range of on‑chain products and services that ADX expects to offer under a regulated framework.

Institutional focus and market integrity

Abdulla Al Nuaimi, Group Chief Executive Officer of the ADX Group, said the exchange sees tokenisation as an important influence on how capital is raised and transferred globally and that the collaboration with DFNS represents a step towards “institution‑grade” market capability. He highlighted ADX’s aim to underpin innovation with governance, operational resilience and investor confidence as the exchange seeks to position Abu Dhabi as a globally connected hub for next‑generation capital markets.

Clarisse Hagège, CEO and Founder of DFNS, said the company would support ADX by supplying secure wallet infrastructure that can help preserve market integrity as financial institutions explore on‑chain products. She said the partnership reflected a belief that Abu Dhabi is well placed to lead regulated innovation in digital assets.

Both parties described the collaboration as technological and operational groundwork for regulated digital‑asset services rather than an announcement of immediate new listings. ADX’s adoption of DFNS technology is aimed at providing market participants with the security and custody features expected by institutional investors, while enabling new delivery mechanisms for tokenised securities.

Source: WAM