ADX Partners With DFNS to Build Digital Asset Wallet and Tokenization Infrastructure

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group has partnered with digital asset infrastructure provider DFNS to develop wallet and tokenization capabilities for on-chain assets, as the exchange expands its digital asset infrastructure.

Under the strategic agreement announced on September 15, ADX will use DFNS’s institutional wallet technology to support digital asset workflows and tokenized assets. The move is part of ADX’s broader strategy to develop infrastructure for the issuance, listing and trading of digital assets in the UAE and international markets.

The partnership places wallet infrastructure alongside tokenization within ADX’s digital asset strategy, giving the exchange technology designed to support the custody and movement of on-chain assets as it develops new digital financial products.

From Digital Bond Listings to Broader Tokenization Infrastructure

The announcement builds on ADX’s earlier move into blockchain-based capital markets.

In July 2025, ADX listed a digital-native blockchain bond issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank, marking what the exchange described as the first such public-market listing in the Middle East and North Africa. The bond was issued using HSBC Orion and recorded entirely on distributed ledger technology.

The new DFNS partnership broadens that direction beyond individual products, giving ADX access to wallet infrastructure intended to support a wider range of on-chain assets and workflows.

ADX Group CEO Abdulla Al Nuaimi said tokenization is increasingly influencing how capital is raised, invested and transferred, adding that the partnership would help establish infrastructure for a broader range of on-chain products and services.

The exchange has also identified tokenized equities as part of its digital asset strategy.

DFNS Provides Institutional Wallet Infrastructure

DFNS, founded in 2020, provides programmable wallet infrastructure for financial institutions, fintech companies and businesses. Its technology supports digital asset operations across more than 30 blockchains and 1,000 tokens, according to the companies.

The Paris-based company has been expanding its institutional footprint. In January 2025, Further Ventures led a $16 million Series A investment in DFNS, with the funding earmarked in part for expansion across markets including the UAE, Europe, the UK and the US.

For ADX, the partnership provides an infrastructure component that can sit underneath future digital asset services rather than limiting the exchange to individual tokenized issuances.

DFNS CEO and founder Clarisse Hagège said secure wallet infrastructure is becoming an important component of market integrity and investor confidence as financial institutions develop on-chain products.

Abu Dhabi Pushes Further Into Tokenized Markets

The agreement comes as exchanges and financial market infrastructures globally move toward integrating blockchain into traditional capital markets.

Rather than creating a separate digital asset market, the emerging model increasingly involves bringing tokenized securities and other on-chain assets into established financial infrastructure, with custody, settlement, ownership and investor protections remaining central considerations.

For ADX, the DFNS agreement signals the next stage of that approach: developing the underlying digital asset infrastructure alongside the products themselves.

The exchange said the partnership will support its ambition to become a venue for tokenized assets in the region, while contributing to Abu Dhabi’s broader effort to develop a regulated digital asset and capital markets ecosystem.