The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the independent regulator of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), is inviting firms to express their interest in participating in the DFSA’s Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox.
This initiative is designed for firms seeking to offer tokenised investment products and services, enabling them to test their solutions within a controlled regulatory environment.
As part of the DFSA’s Innovation Testing Licence programme, a licensed sandbox that facilitates the testing of innovative financial products and services, the Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox provides a structured pathway from experimentation to full authorisation.
The DFSA’s Innovation Testing Licence has already played a key role in supporting fintechs and digital finance pioneers within the DIFC.
By expanding its scope to tokenised investments, the initiative reinforces Dubai, the DIFC, and the United Arab Emirates’ standing as a leading global hub for digital finance.
Who Should Apply?
The DFSA welcomes expressions of interest from firms engaged in tokenisation-related financial services, including:
- Firms issuing, trading, holding, or settling tokenised investments such as equities, bonds, sukuk, and collective investment fund units.
- Existing DFSA Authorised Firms looking to expand into tokenisation.
- Firms with a strong understanding of the applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
Application Process
The Expression of Interest window is open from 17 March 2025 to 24 April 2025.
Interested firms will undergo an assessment process, with those demonstrating strong business models and regulatory understanding potentially invited to participate in the DFSA’s Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox.
Participants will receive tailored regulatory support and structured testing opportunities.
To apply, firms should complete the Expression of Interest form.
Featured image credit: edited from freepik
