ADI Chain and Shipfinex Partner to Establish the First Regulated Tokenized Maritime Asset Class in the RWA Market

• ADI Chain will provide the blockchain, distribution and dirham-denominated stablecoin settlement infrastructure for maritime real-world assets

• Maritime Asset Tokens developed under the partnership will be available exclusively on ADI Chain

• Shipfinex brings an initial pipeline of around 35 vessels valued at approximately US$500 million.

• The partnership addresses a commercial fleet valued at approximately US$2.17 trillion, against total global ship finance of approximately US$680 billion

ABU DHABI, UAE, August 11, 2026 - ADI Chain and Shipfinex have entered an exclusive partnership to establish the first regulated, institutional-grade tokenized maritime asset class, creating a new on-chain market for vessel-backed finance, charter-linked income and economic interests in ships. Maritime Asset Tokens developed under the partnership will be issued through a regulated route and made available exclusively on ADI Chain.

Although maritime transport carries over 80% of international trade in goods by volume, investment in the vessels supporting that economy remains concentrated among shipowners, banks and specialist financial institutions. This creates a significant financing opportunity. The commercial fleet was estimated to be worth approximately $2.17 trillion at end-2025, while total global ship finance, including bank lending, leasing, export credit and alternative providers, stood at approximately US$680 billion. At the same time, ownership is highly fragmented across thousands of predominantly small and mid-sized operators, many of which have limited access to new sources of capital.

The partnership will create a regulated digital route into this market. Shipfinex will originate, issue and structure eligible maritime assets. ADI Chain will provide the blockchain, distribution and settlement infrastructure connecting those instruments with the digital-asset economy and introducing qualified institutional participants to primary distributions of Maritime Asset Tokens as the regulated issuance route is finalised.

Shipfinex brings an initial pipeline of around 35 vessels valued at approximately US$500 million. Its Maritime Asset Token architecture and per-vessel legal structure have already been designed, with the project now moving through the pilot and operational-readiness stage.

Each eligible vessel will be held within its own legally distinct special-purpose vehicle, allowing its value, liabilities, income and investor rights to be assessed independently. Depending on the final product structure, the resulting instruments could represent vessel-backed credit, charter-linked income or economic interests.

ADI Chain will provide the infrastructure through which the assets and their associated cash flows can move on-chain. Primary allocations and distributions are expected to settle through stablecoins denominated in UAE Dirham, US Dollars and other currencies, creating an onshore digital settlement route for a globally traded asset class.

“Maritime finance has the scale, real assets and commercial activity to become a major new real-world asset category,” said Ramana Kumar, President of Stablecoin Ecosystem, ADI Foundation. “The missing piece has been trusted infrastructure connecting individual vessels and its economic value with regulated issuance and onshore digital settlement. Through this partnership, ADI Chain is creating that foundation and giving maritime assets a clear route into digital markets through the UAE.”

The model will retain the established legal and operational frameworks governing commercial ships, including ownership, flagging, insurance and maritime protections. Tokenization will provide a digital representation of the economic rights linked to each vessel without replacing the structures through which the asset is owned and operated.

Each Maritime Asset Token will remain connected to an identifiable vessel with its own valuation, operating history, financial profile and legal structure. On-chain records can provide a verifiable history of issuance, ownership and distributions while maintaining the eligibility and compliance requirements attached to the instrument.

“Ships keep global trade moving, but access to maritime investment remains narrow and fragmented,” said Capt. Vikas Pandey, Founder and CEO of Shipfinex. “Combining our maritime origination and asset structuring with ADI Chain’s infrastructure will allow us to create a regulated digital route into this market, with every instrument tied to a real vessel, its economics and its legal structure.” 

Shipfinex holds In-Principle Approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority for broker-dealer services and is working toward operational launch. No Maritime Asset Tokens have yet been issued publicly.

The first phase of the partnership will focus on finalizing the regulated issuance route, confirming the initial product structure and preparing vessels from Shipfinex’s pipeline for tokenization.

Through the partnership, ADI Chain and Shipfinex aim to establish maritime assets as a distinct regulated category in the RWA market, with ADI Chain serving as the exclusive blockchain and settlement infrastructure for the resulting digital instruments.

About the ADI Foundation

The ADI Foundation is an institutional gateway enabling public and private sector organizations to adopt blockchain technology through purpose-built, policy-aligned infrastructure, expanding financial access for underserved communities globally.

Central to ADI’s mission to connect one billion people and institutions to the digital economy by 2030 is ADI Chain, the first institutional blockchain for stablecoins and real-world assets in the MENA region. ADI Chain acts as settlement infrastructure for a dirham-backed stablecoin, DDSC, initiated by IHC and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and licensed by the UAE Central Bank. 

ADI collaborates with leading global institutions including BlackRock, Mastercard, M-Pesa, Visa, Franklin Templeton and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the world’s first jurisdiction with a bespoke digital asset framework. ADI is founded by Sirius International Holding, the technology-focused subsidiary of International Holding Company.

For more information, visit the Official Website, LinkedIn, and X.

Media Contact:

[email protected] 

About Shipfinex 

Shipfinex is a maritime asset tokenisation and capital-markets platform built to originate, structure, distribute and service maritime real-world assets. Shipfinex holds an In-Principle Approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority for VA Broker-Dealer services (Ref: IPA/26/01/002) and is working toward operational launch; an In-Principle Approval is not an operating licence. No Maritime Asset Tokens have yet been issued publicly.

For more information, visit the Shipfinex Official Website, LinkedIn, X and Instagram.

Disclaimer

This announcement describes a partnership and a future program. Any product, settlement service or issuance route described remains subject to definitive documentation, applicable law and regulatory permissions. No Maritime Asset Tokens have yet been issued publicly. References to anticipated capabilities are forward-looking statements. This communication is for information only and does not constitute an offer, solicitation or invitation to acquire any virtual asset.