Dubai Launches Regulatory Sandbox for Crypto Assets Tokenization
Date: 2025-03-20 Author: Oliver Abernathy Categories: IN WORLD
On March 17, 2025, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) launched the tokenization sandbox at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). Companies will be able to issue, trade, and settle tokenized assets, including shares, bonds, and fund units, under the Innovation Testing License (ITL). Applications are open until April 24.
Dubai’s program is in line with global trends. In January, Qatar launched the Regulatory Sandbox and Express Sandbox, while Singapore’s MAS is developing the Orchid and Guardian projects to test blockchain finance. Europe has the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS) and the European Blockchain Sandbox.
The DFSA continues to attract leading crypto companies. In March, Ripple received a license to operate in the region, while Circle was previously approved to use USDC and EURC. In January, Mantra closed a $1 billion deal to tokenize Damac Group real estate and received a VARA license to operate in MENA.
These initiatives underscore Dubai’s commitment to integrating tokenization into its financial infrastructure.
