The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Group has signed a strategic agreement with digital asset technology provider DFNS to develop wallet and tokenization capabilities, extending the exchange operator’s push into blockchain-based capital markets.
The collaboration will give ADX access to DFNS’s institutional wallet infrastructure as the exchange develops systems intended to support the issuance, listing and trading of on-chain assets.
The partnership follows earlier work by ADX on digitally issued bonds and tokenized equities. It also reflects a broader effort among established exchanges to determine how blockchain infrastructure can be incorporated into regulated securities markets without weakening custody controls, governance or investor protections.
Building the Operational Layer
Although digital wallets are often associated with retail cryptocurrency applications, institutional wallet infrastructure performs a wider role. It can control how digital assets are created, held, transferred and approved while maintaining records of the people and systems authorized to initiate transactions.
ADX said that it will use DFNS technology to establish integrated wallet and tokenization capabilities. The proposed infrastructure would sit behind potential on-chain products and services rather than simply providing investors with another consumer crypto wallet.
Tokenization converts rights connected to an asset into digital units that can be recorded and transferred through distributed-ledger infrastructure. Applied to securities, the process can cover instruments such as equities and bonds, but the underlying legal rights, custody arrangements, settlement procedures and regulatory responsibilities remain central to how those tokens can be issued and traded.
DFNS was founded in 2020 and provides wallet, transaction-management, governance and tokenization technology to financial institutions and other businesses. Its infrastructure supports institutional workflows across more than 30 blockchain networks and approximately 1,000 tokens.
Extending ADX’s Digital Asset Strategy
ADX has already taken steps to connect conventional market infrastructure with distributed-ledger technology. In July 2025, the exchange announced plans with First Abu Dhabi Bank and HSBC for the first distributed-ledger-based, digitally native bond to be listed in the Middle East and North Africa.
The bond was issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and made available through HSBC Orion, the bank’s digital asset platform. It was structured as a digitally native bond, with its issuance and administration handled through digital market infrastructure rather than as a blockchain representation of a conventionally issued security.
That transaction gave ADX experience with a defined digital instrument supported by an external platform. Its agreement with DFNS addresses a different part of the market architecture: the wallet and tokenization functions that could allow the exchange group to support a wider selection of on-chain assets over time.
Abdulla Al Nuaimi, group chief executive of ADX Group, said: “Our collaboration with DFNS is an important step in building the trusted, institution-grade infrastructure required to translate that potential into scalable market capability. By integrating secure digital asset wallet and tokenisation technology into our ecosystem, ADX aims to establish a robust foundation for a broader range of on-chain products and services. This advances our strategy to position Abu Dhabi as a globally connected hub for the next generation of capital markets, where innovation is underpinned by robust governance, operational resilience and investor confidence.”
DFNS founder and Chief Executive Clarisse Hagège, added: “ADX is taking a significant step in advancing the infrastructure required for tokenised capital markets, and we are proud to support that journey. Through this collaboration, DFNS and ADX are laying the technological foundations for a new generation of regulated digital asset services. We believe Abu Dhabi is uniquely positioned to lead innovation in this space, and we look forward to supporting ADX’s vision of building a trusted, globally competitive digital-assets ecosystem.”
ADX Group includes the exchange as well as AD Depository and AD Clear, giving it responsibilities across trading, depository, clearing and settlement functions. Introducing tokenized assets into that structure may require technology capable of coordinating blockchain records with the exchange’s existing processes and applicable securities rules.
