Coinbase Establishes International Tokenisation Hub in Abu Dhabi

Crypto exchange Coinbase has received Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market, establishing Abu Dhabi as its international hub for tokenised securities.

The approval allows Coinbase to arrange investment deals and provide custody services for tokenised securities through ADGM. The model is intended to give eligible investors digital access to traditional securities through blockchain-based infrastructure.

Under the framework, tokenised securities issued in ADGM are backed by underlying shares, with eligible holders able to receive economic and governance rights such as dividends and voting rights depending on the terms of each security. Transactions remain subject to regulatory controls including investor verification and sanctions screening.

Coinbase will operate the platform through Onchain Marketplace Ltd, which holds ADGM permissions covering investment arrangement and custody for specified financial instruments. ADGM records also show securities issued by Coinbase Onchain SPV Ltd among approved products, while its regulated ecosystem includes tokenised securities linked to companies such as Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and NVIDIA.

The system retains controls more commonly associated with regulated financial markets than permissionless crypto trading. Coinbase said assets can be frozen or seized at wallet level where legally required, while access will be restricted to eligible and verified investors.