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RWA tokenization gaining momentum in UAE

Web3 & Enterprise·March 05, 2025, 7:45 AM

Real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, the conversion of tangible assets into digital tokens on a blockchain, is gaining momentum in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a number of industry professionals working in the sector.

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‘No lack of demand’

Scott Thiel, founder and CEO of Dubai-based RWA token marketplace Tokinvest, recently outlined to Cointelegraph that the company is experiencing “no lack of demand” for tokenized RWAs. Thiel believes that demand is coming from real estate developers and large property owners who “want to explore how they can use this as an alternate means of financing or selling their property.”

 

The Tokinvest CEO explained that a booming property market in the UAE,  particularly in Dubai, is contributing towards RWA tokenization demand in the country. He stated:

 

“What’s the hottest real estate market in the world? Well, I think today it’s probably Dubai, and so, everyone would like to own a piece of this or to get access to the economic benefits of being a participant in that marketplace.”

 

RWA tokenization deals

Last year, Liv Digital Bank, a subsidiary of Emirates NBD, the second largest bank in the UAE, signed a deal with RWA tokenization firm Ctrl Alt. At the time, Ctrl Alt CEO Matt Ong pointed to a Boston Consulting Group report that forecast a $16 trillion business opportunity with regard to the tokenization of global illiquid assets by 2030.

 

In January, MANTRA, a layer-1 blockchain project that focuses on RWA tokenization, inked a $1 billion deal with Damac Group, an Emirati property development company. The objective of the partnership is to bring transparency, security and access to Damac’s assets using blockchain.

 

Last month, MANTRA was awarded a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license by Dubai regulator, the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). MANTRA Co-founder and CEO John Patrick Mullin described the license award as “a validation of our purpose, which is to provide developers and institutions with a purpose-built RWA Layer 1 Blockchain, that’s capable of adhering to real world regulatory requirements.”

 

Proactive regulation

It is with regard to regulation that many in the industry feel that the UAE is gaining the upper hand where RWA tokenization is concerned. Tokeninvest’s Thiel provided input into the formulation of VARA’s regulatory framework back in 2022. He said that the authorities there have taken a proactive approach to digital asset regulation, with a genuine desire to provide regulatory clarity.

 

The Tokinvest CEO was sufficiently impressed by the regulatory approach in the UAE to relocate the company there. Back in January, VARA awarded the company a trading license for its tokenized RWA marketplace.

 

Commenting following the announcement of the Damac deal, MANTRA’s Mullin complimented the UAE authorities on their business-friendly approach:

 

“The UAE has shown time and again that they can lead the crypto industry in innovation.” 

 

In a series of posts on X recently, Julian Kwan, CEO and founder of IXS, a Singapore-based institutional bridge for tokenized RWAs, cited the Damac tokenized real estate deal while asserting that tokenized “RWAs are no longer a concept — they are an unstoppable financial movement.”

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