Coinbase has secured an Abu Dhabi license for tokenized securities, saying on August 11, 2026 that it received Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of the Abu Dhabi Global Market to establish an international tokenization hub in the emirate.
What Coinbase’s Abu Dhabi License Covers
Coinbase said the FSRA permission clears it to arrange deals in investments and provide custody to facilitate a launch of tokenized securities, according to its announcement. For related coverage, see Coinbase to End Loopring (LRC) Trading on August 7.
The company said tokenized securities registered and issued in ADGM are fully backed by the underlying shares under FSRA supervision, tying each token to a real asset rather than a synthetic exposure. For related coverage, see Coinbase Stops Trading Five Tokens, Withdrawals Stay Open.
The regulatory footprint is already visible in ADGM’s own records. The regulator’s Approved Prospectuses registry lists Coinbase Onchain SPV Ltd with an NVIDIA CB / NVDAc certificates-over-shares primary prospectus approved on August 4, 2026. For related coverage, see Coinbase loses Michigan bid over sports prediction markets.
The exact permission reference number was not published as a standalone document, and Coinbase did not disclose a launch date or full product list, leaving the precise timeline to be confirmed in fuller reporting.
Why Abu Dhabi Matters for Coinbase’s Expansion
Choosing ADGM as the base for a global tokenization push signals a regulatory positioning play rather than a generic international expansion. Coinbase said no major financial center has yet built such a framework, according to Brett Tejpaul.
“No major financial center has yet built such a framework.” — Brett Tejpaul, Coinbase
ADGM’s Arvind Ramamurthy called the move a strong endorsement of Abu Dhabi’s growing role, framing the license as reinforcing the free zone’s standing as a regulated venue for digital-asset activity.
The permission also builds on Coinbase’s wider Gulf strategy. CoinDesk reported that the Abu Dhabi approval gives Coinbase a regulatory base for offering tokenized securities from the emirate and sits alongside its UAE derivatives expansion. It follows a broader wave of firms seeking approvals in the jurisdiction, including Bitcoin Suisse’s ADGM license in Abu Dhabi.
What the License Could Mean for Tokenized Securities
Tokenized securities put traditional equity exposure onchain, and a licensed, prospectus-backed structure gives the products a compliant wrapper that many earlier tokenized-stock efforts lacked. The NVDAc certificate is the first concrete example filed inside the ADGM framework.
Investor rights come with caveats. The Defiant, working from Coinbase’s footnotes, reported that only Vested Holders may exercise voting and redemption rights, a detail that separates the compliant structure from direct share ownership.
Coinbase separately said 4 billion people worldwide cannot access capital markets, according to unconfirmed figures in its announcement that carried no disclosed methodology. The claim frames the tokenization hub as a wider access play.
The move extends a growing Coinbase push into equities, following its rollout of 24/5 trading for nearly 4,000 U.S. stocks in the UK. Whether the Abu Dhabi hub scales beyond a single NVDAc prospectus into a broader compliant product line remains a potential outcome rather than a confirmed one, pending Coinbase’s launch details.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
