Securitize Signs Memorandum of Understanding With Dubai's VARA to Advance Regulated Tokenisation
Updated: Oct 7
For UK platforms and law firms watching where the next wave of regulated tokenisation infrastructure lands, Dubai just moved a step closer to the front of the queue.
Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and Securitize, the BlackRock backed tokenisation platform, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 3 September 2026 to advance tokenisation and digital asset infrastructure across the United Arab Emirates and Dubai specifically.
The agreement establishes a collaborative framework rather than committing either party to a specific technology stack or product. A VARA spokesperson said that the intention is to combine the regulator's supervisory perspective with Securitize's experience in institutional tokenisation to identify where collaboration can support the development of trusted, regulated tokenised markets in the emirate. No specific projects have been announced under the MoU at this stage.
Carlos Domingo, co founder and chief executive of Securitize, described Dubai as one of the world's most forward looking jurisdictions for digital asset innovation, framing the agreement as part of tokenisation's shift from concept to mainstream financial infrastructure.
The MoU lands only days after the London Stock Exchange's own tokenisation push, in which LSE partnered with Kraken owner Payward to bring tokenised versions of the exchange's 100 largest listed companies to a new overnight trading venue, LSE 24, from 2027. Together the two developments illustrate a pattern familiar to anyone tracking the sector in recent months: established, regulated venues in competing financial centres are moving to claim ground in tokenised equity and asset infrastructure before less regulated venues do it for them.
From our perspective in the UK, the Dubai announcement is a reminder that VARA has been an unusually fast moving regulator. VARA issued its 50th virtual asset service provider licence, to tokenisation platform Tribe Tokenisation FZE, at the start of July. The Securitize MoU adds a second axis, direct regulator to platform collaboration, to a jurisdiction that UK based tokenisation providers increasingly cite as a comparator when they press the FCA and HM Treasury for clearer rules of their own, particularly as the FCA's own mandatory authorisation window for trading platforms, intermediaries, custodians, stablecoin issuers and staking firms does not open until 30 September 2026.
Securitize remains the largest tokenisation platform globally by assets under management, at 4.9 billion dollars, ahead of Ondo Finance's 3.5 billion dollars, according to data from RWA.xyz cited in the announcement. Total tokenised real world asset value rose 2 per cent to 38.5 billion dollars in the past 30 days, with total holders up 103 per cent over the same period, underlining how quickly the addressable market these regulatory frameworks are being built for is growing.
Key Takeaways
VARA and Securitize signed an MoU on 3 September 2026 to build a collaborative framework for regulated tokenisation in Dubai, with no specific product commitments yet.
The agreement follows VARA's 50th VASP licence issuance in July and sits alongside the London Stock Exchange's own tokenisation partnership with Kraken owner Payward.
Securitize remains the largest tokenisation platform by assets under management, at 4.9 billion dollars, as total tokenised RWA value reached 38.5 billion dollars.
The move underscores competitive pressure between regulated financial centres, including the UK, to establish themselves as trusted homes for institutional tokenisation infrastructure.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What did Securitize and Dubai's VARA agree?
Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and Securitize signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 3 September 2026 to advance tokenisation and digital asset infrastructure in the UAE and Dubai. It sets up a collaborative framework rather than committing either party to a specific technology stack or product.
Have any projects been announced under the Securitize VARA MoU?
No specific projects had been announced under the MoU at the time of the announcement. VARA said the aim is to combine its supervisory perspective with Securitize's institutional tokenisation experience to identify where collaboration can support regulated tokenised markets in Dubai.
How large is Securitize compared with other tokenisation platforms?
According to RWA.xyz data cited in the announcement, Securitize is the largest tokenisation platform globally by assets under management, at 4.9 billion dollars, ahead of Ondo Finance at 3.5 billion dollars.
How many virtual asset service provider licences has VARA issued?
VARA issued its 50th virtual asset service provider licence at the start of July 2026, to the tokenisation platform Tribe Tokenisation FZE.
When does the FCA authorisation window for UK crypto firms open?
The FCA's mandatory authorisation window for trading platforms, intermediaries, custodians, stablecoin issuers and staking firms opens on 30 September 2026.
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