Coinbase secures Abu Dhabi license for tokenized securities

Coinbase has received Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This authorization allows the company to arrange investment deals and provide custody services for tokenized securities.

Coinbase intends to use Abu Dhabi as its primary international hub for tokenization and derivatives businesses outside the United States. The company plans to register and issue digital securities linked to traditional financial assets within the ADGM. Under this structure, each tokenized security will be backed by an underlying share, granting verified holders rights such as dividends and voting rights.

The move follows groundwork that began in December 2023 with the in-principle approval of ‘Project Diamond’. Additionally, in July 2026, Coinbase invested approximately $75 million in a blockchain-native version of Mubadala Capital’s evergreen private markets fund, marking the company as a major US publicly traded firm utilizing regulated tokenized assets for on-chain operations.