Coinbase Wins Abu Dhabi Approval to Launch Tokenized Securities Starting with Apple

The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market has granted Coinbase a Financial Services Permission to arrange investment deals and provide custody services for tokenized securities.Coinbase has also pursued regulatory approval in the United States for tokenized equities. In 2025, the company asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to allow it to offer tokenized versions of publicly traded stocks. That process is separate from the latest approval in ADGM.Coinbase Prepares Apple-Linked Tokenized SecuritiesCoinbase announced the approval today, providing a regulatory framework for the company to develop securities represented as digital tokens within ADGM.Under the model, traditional securities such as stocks would remain regulated financial instruments. They would be issued in ADGM and backed by underlying shares held in trust. Verified token holders could receive economic benefits, including dividends, while voting rights would depend on the terms of each offering.The FSRA approved a prospectus earlier this month for Apple CB Certificates, issued by Coinbase Onchain SPV Ltd., an ADGM special purpose vehicle established in June. The certificates represent beneficial interests in Apple common stock. Coinbase could use a similar structure for other equities.Eligible investors could access the securities through digital wallets. Transfers would remain subject to sanctions screening and other regulatory controls, while the products would be limited to eligible jurisdictions outside the US.Coinbase has established Abu Dhabi (ADGM) as our international tokenization hub.Our newly acquired FSRA license means that we can now bring global securities to anyone with a wallet.The next frontier of global finance is onchain, and we're building it from the UAE. Abu Dhabi Becomes Coinbase Tokenization BaseCoinbase said tokenization could support faster settlement, continuous trading and fractional ownership, although adoption would depend on available liquidity.The approval positions Abu Dhabi as the base for Coinbase's international tokenization and onchain capital markets operations, while Dubai remains its derivatives hub. ADGM introduced its virtual asset framework in 2018. Coinbase has also used the region for digital debt and private-market products, including a Mubadala Capital strategy that attracted about $75 million in onchain assets.The Apple-linked certificates will provide an early test of demand for tokenized equities under the new framework.