Crypto.com has entered a strategic partnership with Sirius International Holding (SIH), the technology investment arm of Abu Dhabi's $240 billion conglomerate International Holdings Company (IHC). The collaboration aims to build and enhance digital asset and tokenization ecosystems in the UAE and the broader Middle East.
The partnership centers on the integration of ADI Chain, a high-performance sovereign blockchain developed by the ADI Foundation. Crypto.com will evaluate ADI Chain as a potential supported network within its ecosystem, which would grant the chain's assets—including potential tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and a Dirham-backed stablecoin—access to global liquidity channels through the exchange. This move is seen as a key step in the UAE's strategy to become a global hub for regulated tokenization and institutional-grade settlement.
The announcement comes as the UAE solidifies its position as a leading crypto jurisdiction, ranking 6th globally in cryptocurrency adoption with a 72% adoption rate among its population. The country's regulatory frameworks, including those from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), are cited as major factors attracting firms like Crypto.com, Binance, and Bybit, which have all secured licenses in the region.
The partnership also opens the door for Crypto.com Pay to be deployed across Sirius's portfolio of regional enterprises, bringing crypto payments into sectors like retail, infrastructure, and logistics. Analysts estimate the global tokenization market could be worth up to $30 trillion, with institutional adoption accelerating in advanced financial hubs.
This collaboration is viewed as accelerating the Middle East's transition from a retail-driven crypto market to one built on institutional-level infrastructure, leveraging Crypto.com's global scale of over 100 million users with Sirius's government and sovereign digital infrastructure connections.
