Dirham-backed stablecoin DDSC launches on ADI Chain, licensed by the UAE Central Bank

Dirham-backed stablecoin DDSC launches on ADI Chain with UAE Central Bank approval and backing from IHC and FAB.

The Dirham-Backed Stablecoin DDSC is now live on ADI Chain. Backed 1:1 by UAE Dirham reserves, it was initiated by International Holding Company (IHC), one of the largest investment companies in the world, with $240 billion in capitalization, and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) – the UAE’s largest bank with over $330 billion in assets and 33% of the UAE banking market share.

DDSC is approved and licensed by the UAE Central Bank and operates exclusively on ADI Chain, an institutional-grade Layer 2 blockchain infrastructure built for national-scale deployment. FAB serves as the banking partner, providing custody of fiat reserves and bringing 4 million customers across 20 markets and decades of banking infrastructure onto programmable blockchain rails.

The model is designed with clear separation. IHC and FAB initiated the stablecoin project, with Sirius International Holding supporting deployment and institutional adoption. DDSC, a registered entity, serves as the distributor and issuer. The UAE Central Bank approved and licensed it. ADI Chain hosts it on compliance-ready infrastructure.

Proving the compliance-ready blockchain model

Stablecoins have reached a global scale. According to a16z crypto’s State of Crypto report, stablecoin transactions exceeded $46 trillion in 2024. Usage now resembles traditional payment rails rather than speculative trading. Digital cash is moving from a crypto-native tool to a strategic national infrastructure.

DDSC demonstrates that compliance requirements don’t conflict with public blockchain benefits. The infrastructure delivers instant settlement, 24/7 availability, and transparent transaction rails. Industry data shows the UAE processes over $70 billion in digital payment transaction value annually, alongside nearly $50 billion in cross-border remittances and significant trade flows across MENA-Asia-Africa corridors. DDSC stablecoin provides compliant settlement rails for these existing flows.

When a Central Bank trusts blockchain infrastructure for monetary settlement, governments and institutions worldwide take notice. Post-mainnet, ADI secured MOUs with BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton for tokenized asset settlement, blockchain payment rails, and digital product infrastructure, alongside M-Pesa Africa for cross-border remittance rails across eight African markets. These collaborations validate the compliance-first approach.

The infrastructure behind sovereign settlement

ADI Chain is the first institutional Layer 2 blockchain for stablecoins and real-world assets in MENA. The ADI Foundation was founded by Sirius International Holding, the digital arm of IHC, which is one of the world’s largest investment holding companies.

The foundation developed ADI Chain as a purpose-built infrastructure for emerging markets where compliance, security, and regulatory alignment cannot be compromised.

The architecture rests on three pillars:

• Compliance-ready infrastructure begins with the ADI Foundation, which operates under the ADGM regulatory framework.
  
• Efficient execution leverages ZKsync’s Airbender technology, making ADI the first blockchain to implement the latest generation of zero-knowledge proof systems.
  
• Secure architecture is validated through OpenZeppelin’s comprehensive audit covering core contracts, infrastructure, token standards, and critical systems.

This combination creates infrastructure that addresses institutional needs without compromising the benefits of public blockchain technology.

ADI: The utility token

Every blockchain requires a gas token to function. For governments and institutions building compliant infrastructure, that token needs to deliver functions beyond processing transactions.

ADI serves as the core utility token for MENA’s first institutional Layer 2 ecosystem. The token processes all smart contract executions, dApp interactions, and value transfers across ADI Chain and its L3 sovereign networks. It functions as the medium of exchange across the ecosystem, facilitating settlement between enterprises, developers, validators, and users, creating a unified settlement layer for network operations.

DDSC stablecoin operates on ADI Chain’s infrastructure, where ADI functions as the utility token powering on-chain transactions. When users transfer DDSC for payments, settlements, or cross-border remittances, ADI processes the underlying blockchain operations. 

The path forward

DDSC represents the first step in a larger infrastructure play. The roadmap moves through clear stages: prove the model with the UAE’s dirham, extend to other GCC currencies, connect to Africa via M-Pesa infrastructure, and enable interoperable settlement across MENA-Africa-Asia.

The goal is a network of institution-backed regional stablecoins, all interoperable on ADI Chain, creating a compliant settlement infrastructure for emerging markets. ADI Foundation is building infrastructure to support multiple governments launching regional stablecoins on the same compliance-ready settlement layer.

A year ago, the ADI Foundation announced its formation at Abu Dhabi Finance Week. Twelve months later, it returned to the same stage to announce the mainnet launch. Today, Dirham-Backed stablecoin DDSC goes live on ADI Chain, proving that regulated national stablecoins can operate on public blockchain infrastructure.

About ADI Foundation and ADI Chain

ADI Foundation is an Abu Dhabi-based non-profit founded by Sirius International Holding, a subsidiary of IHC, dedicated to empowering governments and institutions in emerging markets through blockchain infrastructure. The foundation’s mission is to bring one billion people into the digital economy by 2030, building on a foundation of 500+ million people already within its ecosystem reach.

ADI Chain is the first institutional Layer 2 blockchain for stablecoins and real-world assets in the MENA region, providing settlement infrastructure for a dirham-backed stablecoin initiated by IHC and FAB, licensed by the UAE Central Bank. The network operates on three pillars – Compliance, Efficiency, Security, serving governments implementing blockchain infrastructure across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

For more information, visit the official website, LinkedIn, and X.