The Central Bank of the UAE has approved the launch of DDSC, a UAE dirham-backed stablecoin operating on ADI Chain, designed to support institutional payments, settlement and blockchain-based financial services.
The fully regulated digital currency will operate on ADI Chain and support institutional use cases, strengthening the UAE’s digital finance ecosystem.
Abu Dhabi — The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has approved the launch of a new UAE dirham-backed stablecoin called DDSC, marking a major development in the country’s regulated digital finance landscape. The announcement was made by a consortium comprising International Holding Company (IHC), Sirius International Holding and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB).
DDSC is set to operate on ADI Chain, an institutional Layer-2 blockchain developed by the Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation, and represents the next step in the UAE’s efforts to modernise financial infrastructure through digital assets. The initiative builds on plans first unveiled in April 2025 by IHC and FAB, with Sirius International Holding joining to help deploy and integrate the stablecoin for broader institutional adoption.
“DDSC marks a defining milestone in the UAE’s digital finance journey, delivering trusted, institutional-grade infrastructure that strengthens resilience and accelerates innovation.” — Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC
Designed as a compliant digital financial instrument, DDSC is intended to support a range of high-value institutional and government applications, including payments and collections, settlement and treasury operations, trade and supply-chain finance, and programmable financial services for regulated entities. The stablecoin is expected to be made available to FAB customers through approved digital platforms while maintaining high standards of compliance, transparency and operational integrity.
According to the central bank’s regulatory framework, stablecoins issued in the UAE must be fully backed by dirham reserves, operate transparently and meet rigorous risk-management requirements — measures that have helped position DDSC as a trusted digital settlement tool rather than a speculative asset.
Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC, said the launch of DDSC highlights a “defining milestone” in the UAE’s digital finance journey, adding that the stablecoin will help modernise payments and treasury workflows while enabling secure and automated value transfer, including future machine-to-machine transactions. Futoon Hamdan AlMazrouei, Group Head at FAB, emphasised that the project demonstrates how stablecoins can be responsibly integrated into the financial system through robust regulatory oversight and blockchain infrastructure. Ajay Hans Raj Bhatia, Group CEO of Sirius International Holding, said the initiative paves the way for real-world institutional use of regulated digital finance infrastructure.
The approval comes amid growing global interest in regulated stablecoins and highlights the UAE’s ambition to become a regional hub for fintech innovation and blockchain-based financial solutions.
