Universal Partners With Bitcoin.com to Bring UAE-Regulated USDU to Wallet

Bitcoin.com is adding USDU, a UAE-regulated stablecoin issued by Abu Dhabi Global Market-based Universal Digital Intl, to its self-custodial wallet under a new strategic partnership between the two companies.

The integration will initially support USDU as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum, allowing Bitcoin.com Wallet users to hold, send and receive the stablecoin. Swap and buy/sell functionality is expected to follow as third-party provider support becomes available, subject to jurisdictional restrictions.

The partnership also includes plans for Bitcoin.com to accept USDU for designated services and explore USDU payments between users and merchants where permitted by applicable law.

USDU Holds Dual UAE Regulatory Status

USDU is issued by Universal Digital Intl under the oversight of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) as a Fiat-Referenced Token.

Universal also said USDU is the first and currently only registered Foreign Payment Token under the Central Bank of the UAE's Payment Token Services Regulation.

Each USDU is backed 1:1 by liquid U.S. dollar reserves held with regulated UAE banks, with the reserves subject to monthly independent attestations, according to Universal.

The stablecoin's smart contract has also undergone an independent audit, while its distribution is handled by Aquanow, a virtual asset service provider licensed by Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).

The regulatory structure gives USDU a position across two UAE regulatory frameworks, although the permissions attached to each framework differ.

Universal is authorized by the FSRA to issue a Fiat-Referenced Token to Professional Clients only. Separately, its registration with the Central Bank of the UAE allows USDU to be used for payments for digital assets and digital asset derivatives in the UAE.

USDU is not permitted for general domestic payment purposes in mainland UAE, according to Universal.

Bitcoin.com Expands USDU Utility

Beyond wallet integration, the partnership is designed to expand the practical use of USDU across Bitcoin.com's ecosystem.

Bitcoin.com said it will accept USDU as a payment method for designated services and work toward enabling payments between users and merchants through its products, where permitted under applicable law.

The companies will also launch an education initiative focused on stablecoins and their regulatory frameworks.

The program will include educational content distributed through Bitcoin.com's channels, including Learn-to-Earn material within its wallet.

The partnership comes as regulated stablecoins increasingly move beyond trading applications toward payments, settlement and consumer-facing financial products.

For USDU, integration into a self-custodial wallet gives the stablecoin another distribution channel while Bitcoin.com gains access to a dollar-pegged asset with a UAE regulatory and reserve framework.

The partnership therefore links regulated stablecoin issuance in the UAE with a global self-custody wallet, while giving USDU a route toward broader use across payments and digital asset transactions.