Why Shipfinex Is Taking Longer (and What That Means for You)

You have been following Shipfinex closely and are keen to understand when the next phase of the platform and the first ship goes live. We want to take a moment to explain why progress has taken longer than initially expected and why, in a regulated market, that patience is intentional and required.

How Asset-Backed Digital Ownership Is Being Regulated

As real-world assets move into digital ownership frameworks, regulators play a central role in defining how these assets are represented, governed, and protected. In the UAE, this responsibility sits with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).

For platforms enabling access to real-world, income-generating assets, regulation goes beyond technology. It covers governance, disclosures, asset segregation, and, most importantly, customer protection, all of which must be clearly defined before access is opened.

Over the past year, VARA has refined how such assets are treated within regulated digital markets, recognizing that real-world assets differ fundamentally from crypto-native assets and require additional safeguards. This has led to clearer regulatory categories designed specifically for digital assets that represent real-world assets.

Understanding ARVA, In Simple Terms

One outcome of this regulatory evolution is a category called Asset-Referenced Virtual Assets (ARVA).

In simple terms, ARVA exists to ensure that when real-world assets are represented digitally, ownership rights, disclosures, and protections are clearly defined before anyone gains access. Frameworks like ARVA intentionally raise the bar, prioritising consumer protection over speed. These frameworks are being operationalized carefully, because once access is opened, the responsibility to protect customers is ongoing.

Why This Matters More for Ships

Ships are operational assets with long lifecycles, multiple stakeholders, and ongoing commercial activity. Because of this, ship ownership demands higher standards around governance clarity, operational & commercial track record, and long-term ownership protections. Additional scrutiny exists to protect customers not just at entry, but throughout the full lifecycle of ownership.

What We’ve Been Building And What Comes Next

While these frameworks are being finalized, work at Shipfinex has continued steadily, focusing on secure access through self-custodial wallets, strong security controls, and governance-first platform design.

In parallel, the first ship being onboarded for the platform is undergoing the same level of discipline. Selection prioritizes operational track record, commercial excellence, and suitability for fractional ownership within a regulated structure, because customer protection takes precedence over speed.

We’ll continue to share updates as frameworks are completed. Thank you for staying engaged as we build Shipfinex carefully, transparently, and for the long term.

Until next time, 

Team Shipfinex