Shortly after activating its mainnet, ADI Chain the Middle East and North Africa’s first large-scale institutional Layer 2 blockchain has announced strategic partnerships with BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton. The swift alignment with three of the world’s most influential financial institutions highlights growing confidence in compliance-led blockchain infrastructure designed specifically for regulated markets.
Formalised through the ADI Foundation, the agreements cover distinct but interconnected segments of financial infrastructure. Collectively, they establish ADI Chain as a core platform for tokenisation, payments, and regulated digital asset activity across the Middle East, with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) positioned at the centre of this ecosystem.
The rapid engagement from global financial leaders sends a clear signal: large-scale blockchain adoption depends on regulatory compatibility, institutional-grade design, and transparent governance from inception.
Global Institutions Focus on Key Financial Use Cases
BlackRock entered a memorandum of understanding with the ADI Foundation to explore advancing blockchain adoption within financial markets and reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s role as an international digital asset hub. The collaboration centres on institution-ready tokenised asset structures, improved distribution channels, and regulatory models that support sustainable, long-term market development.
Mastercard’s partnership is focused on blockchain-powered payments and asset tokenisation throughout the Middle East. The initiative aims to enable stablecoin settlement, cross-border payment infrastructure, and compliant digital asset rails—integrating regulatory requirements directly into system design rather than treating compliance as an afterthought.
Franklin Templeton also signed an MoU with the ADI Foundation to assess regulated digital asset infrastructure within ADGM. Key objectives include enabling institutions to launch compliant tokenised investment products, developing secure settlement and distribution mechanisms, and researching stablecoins and tokenised assets that meet regulatory standards.
Advancing a Compliance-First Blockchain Ecosystem in MENA
ADI Chain’s growing institutional momentum is the result of over a year of development focused on regulatory alignment rather than pure transaction speed. Unlike many Layer 2 networks that prioritise fees and throughput, ADI Chain was built to support government adoption, institutional participation, and integration with national financial systems.
The network’s ecosystem now spans partnerships in more than 20 countries, with over 50 institutional and enterprise initiatives currently in development. Active implementations include onchain travel management solutions, real estate pilots for property registration and shared ownership in Abu Dhabi, and blockchain applications within the energy sector.
Infrastructure expansion continues, with ADI Chain selected as the hosting platform for a UAE dirham-backed stablecoin, set to be issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC under the supervision of the UAE Central Bank. In parallel, the ADI Foundation plans to launch Future Tech 4.0 in collaboration with ADGM and leading universities, aiming to train over 10,000 Web3 professionals and strengthen the region’s long-term digital asset ecosystem.
