Dubai-based maritime investment platform Shipfinex has entered an exclusive partnership with blockchain network ADI Chain to tokenize a portfolio of approximately 35 vessels valued at around $500 million. The initiative targets the $2.17 trillion global commercial shipping market, aiming to open vessel financing to a broader base of investors through blockchain-based instruments.
Under the structure, each ship will be placed inside a separate special-purpose vehicle (SPV) that isolates its valuation, liabilities, income, and investor rights. The corresponding Maritime Asset Tokens could represent vessel-backed credit, charter-linked income, or other economic interests tied directly to an identifiable vessel. ADI Chain will provide the blockchain infrastructure for distribution and settlement, with primary allocations and distributions expected to use stablecoins denominated in UAE dirhams, US dollars, and potentially other currencies.
Shipfinex currently holds an In-Principle Approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) for broker-dealer services, but the partners are still finalizing the regulated issuance route. No tokens have been publicly issued yet as the project remains in its pilot and operational-readiness phase. The partnership aims to address a financing gap in an industry that moves over 80% of global trade by volume, where ship finance is concentrated among banks and specialist institutions.
The tokenization of real-world assets continues to expand, with data from RWA.xyz indicating approximately $38.1 billion in tokenized assets as of early August 2026. Standard Chartered recently forecast that the market could reach $4 trillion by the end of 2028. Shipfinex’s pipeline enters this growing field, leveraging ADI Chain’s existing stablecoin infrastructure, including the UAE Central Bank-approved DDSC dirham stablecoin, to settle vessel-linked transactions.
