Abu Dhabi is officially entering the era of programmable money as the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) grants the green light for a new dirham-backed stablecoin.
Developed through a heavy-hitting partnership between International Holding Company (IHC), Sirius International Holding, and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the digital currency, known as DDSC, has moved from a conceptual blueprint to a live operational asset.
The Architecture Of The DDSC Ecosystem
Unlike traditional digital currencies often associated with retail speculation, DDSC is built as a workhorse for the institutional economy.
It functions on the ADI Chain, a sovereign-grade Layer 2 blockchain designed by the ADI Foundation specifically to handle the high-security demands of government and corporate finance.
This infrastructure acts as a bridge, allowing established financial entities to use blockchain speed without losing the safety of regulatory oversight.
Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC, described the launch as a transformative moment for the nation’s financial landscape.
Shueb noted,
“DDSC marks a defining milestone in the UAE’s digital finance journey. With the Central Bank’s approval and our transition into live operation, we are delivering trusted, institutional-grade infrastructure that strengthens resilience, accelerates innovation, and expands what is possible in regulated digital payments.”
He further highlighted that the token is designed to enable “future machine-to-machine transactions and trade between AI agents as the autonomous economy evolves.”
Transforming Treasury And Trade Flows
The rollout of DDSC focuses on high-impact financial activities that typically face friction in traditional banking.
By utilizing programmable smart contracts, the stablecoin aims to automate complex workflows in payments, collections, and treasury management.
Futoon Hamdan AlMazrouei, Group Head of Personal, Business, Wealth and Privileged Client Banking Group at FAB, emphasized that this move is about responsible integration.
AlMazrouei stated,
“This milestone underscores that stablecoins can be integrated responsibly into the financial system when built to meet rigorous regulatory and risk requirements.”
She added that the bank would enable DDSC to combine regulatory oversight with blockchain infrastructure for institutional and government clients.
A Competitive Landscape For Digital Dirhams
The approval of DDSC adds to a growing list of regulated stablecoins in the UAE, signaling a maturing market.
While DDSC carves out its niche in the institutional and government sectors, other players are already active.
Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank) previously launched AECoin, while Zand Bank has also received a license for AEDZ, a regulated multi-chain dirham-backed stablecoin.
The CBUAE has also approved the dollar-backed stablecoin USDU as a foreign payment token, catering to professional clients and digital asset derivatives.
RAK Bank has also received in-principle approval for its own dirham-backed token.
What Role Does The ADI Chain Play
The technical backbone of this initiative, the ADI Chain, is designed for high-performance governance and scalability.
It allows institutions to maintain strict compliance and security controls while benefiting from the efficiencies of a decentralized ledger.
Andrey Lazorenko, CEO of ADI, stated that the live operation of DDSC is “validation that ADI’s infrastructure is built for real economies, real institutions, and real utility.”
The project, which was first announced in April 2025, now enters an active phase where Sirius International Holding will lead the efforts for widespread institutional adoption.
Ajay Hans Raj Bhatia, Group CEO of Sirius International Holding, noted,
“With DDSC now live, we are entering a new phase of regulated digital finance. Sirius is proud to support this national initiative by helping accelerate adoption and unlock real-world institutional applications.”
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