On 12 May 2025, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) announced that nearly 100 firms have expressed interest in its first-ever Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox, marking a significant leap forward in DIFC’s fintech ecosystem. This initiative forms part of the DFSA’s Innovation Testing Licence (ITL) programme and reinforces the regulator’s ongoing commitment to fostering responsible financial innovation.
The sandbox attracted both established financial institutions and emerging fintech start-ups, with firms exploring tokenisation use cases across shares, sukuk, bonds, fund units, and custody and trading of tokenised assets. This high level of engagement highlights Dubai’s rising global status as a regulated environment for digital assets and tokenisation strategies.
As part of the programme, selected firms will be granted the opportunity to test their tokenised solutions in a controlled, supervised environment, paving the way for future transition to full DFSA licensing. The initiative aligns with Dubai’s D33 economic agenda, aiming to position the city among the world’s top four financial hubs by 2033.
This milestone not only reflects the DFSA’s proactive stance toward Web3 regulation, but also supports the UAE’s broader ambition to become a global centre for fintech, digital assets, and next-generation financial services.
Stay tuned for more updates on regulatory developments in DIFC and ADGM.
For more information, please refer to the official : DFSA announcement
