ABU DHABI, 13th August, 2026 (WAM) -- Coinbase has received a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to establish its international tokenisation hub in ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi. This is the most significant step it has taken yet toward building the infrastructure for a more open, more accessible global financial system.
Coinbase has received the license from the FSRA of ADGM, clearing it to arrange deals in investments and provide custody in order to facilitate its launch of tokenised securities. This is the foundation for its international tokenisation hub in Abu Dhabi.
It said that the announcement marks the first step in Coinbase's efforts to address a global challenge in which four billion people worldwide cannot access capital markets. Not because they lack the means, but because the system was never built for them. Investable opportunities are out of reach, and the cost of participation is too high. This license is the first step toward changing that.
The tokenised securities registered and issued in ADGM are fully backed by underlying shares under the supervision of the FSRA and are verified by token holders, who receive full shareholder rights, including dividends and voting.
An investor does not need a brokerage account or a correspondent banking relationship; they need a wallet. Every transfer is subject to ongoing sanctions screening, and Coinbase can freeze or seize assets at the wallet level where required so DeFi and regulatory integrity are not in conflict.
“ADGM issued one of the world's first regulatory frameworks for virtual assets in 2018. That reflected a genuine institutional commitment to innovation-forward regulation, executed with the rigour that global financial markets require. No major financial centre has yet built a framework that treats tokenised equities simultaneously as securities, blockchain-native tokens, and DeFi-composable assets,” said Brett Tejpaul, Co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional.
Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer, ADGM, said, “Coinbase’s establishment of its international tokenisation hub in ADGM is a strong endorsement of Abu Dhabi’s growing role in shaping the future of global finance. It reflects the strength of ADGM’s progressive, robust and internationally aligned regulatory framework, which continues to provide leading global institutions with the confidence to develop responsible, blockchain-enabled financial services at scale.
"As tokenisation becomes an increasingly important part of capital markets infrastructure, ADGM remains committed to supporting innovation that enhances market access, transparency and investor confidence, while upholding the highest standards of regulatory oversight.”
Through its investments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Coinbase is establishing two of its most ambitious global businesses outside the United States: a hub for tokenised securities and onchain capital markets, and a global hub for derivatives. Together, they reflect the entity’s confidence in the UAE as a home for the next generation of financial infrastructure.