Dubai's virtual assets regulator and Securitize sign a tokenization cooperation deal

What the MOU covers

Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (@varadubai) and @Securitize signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday, committing both sides to a cooperation framework built around knowledge sharing, ecosystem development, and regulatory engagement across the emirate.

The agreement is designed to advance tokenization and digital asset infrastructure across Dubai and the UAE, establishing a collaborative framework to support regulated tokenization initiatives and foster institutional participation. The MOU is positioned as a broad cooperation model rather than the announcement of a specific tokenized product. No individual projects have been named yet.

The partnership aims to advance tokenization initiatives within Dubai's regulatory framework while supporting market integrity and investor protection standards. Through knowledge sharing, ecosystem development, and regulatory engagement, VARA and Securitize will work together to advance responsible innovation in tokenization, giving licensed market participants access to Securitize's global expertise.

Securitize's standing in the tokenized asset market

Securitize operates as a platform for tokenized assets with approximately $5 billion in assets under management as of August 2026, and runs regulated digital-securities infrastructure in both the US and EU, partnering with asset managers including Apollo, BlackRock, BNY, Hamilton Lane, KKR, and VanEck.

The firm, backed by BlackRock and ARK Invest, began trading on the NYSE on July 2 after completing a merger with Cantor Equity Partners II, a blank-check company with ties to Cantor Fitzgerald. On the same day it listed, Securitize made tokenized versions of its $SECZ common stock available on Solana and Avalanche, with investors holding approximately $295 million in tokenized shares at launch.

This is not an entirely fresh relationship between the two parties. Securitize had already tokenized an SEC-registered ETF linked to economist Nouriel Roubini as a digital security under VARA's framework in June 2026.

VARA was established in March 2022 and regulates virtual assets and related activities across Dubai's commercial zones, excluding the Dubai International Financial Centre. The deal adds another institutional anchor to Dubai's growing ambition to become a leading jurisdiction for regulated tokenized financial markets.

Sources:
Cointelegraph: VARA, Securitize Sign MoU for Tokenization Innovation in Dubai
StockTitan: Securitize, Dubai Regulator Sign Tokenisation MoU (Press Release)
CoinMarketCap: Securitize Lists on NYSE and Tokenizes Its Own Stock on Day 1