CryptoWire, ABU DHABI: The Central Bank of the UAE has approved the launch of a UAE dirham-backed stablecoin called DDSC, enabling it to go live on ADI Chain, the companies behind the project said on February 11, 2026. The approval adds another regulated digital payment instrument to the UAE’s expanding financial technology ecosystem, with the sponsors positioning DDSC for institutional-grade payments and settlement use.
DDSC is being launched by International Holding Company, Sirius International Holding and First Abu Dhabi Bank. The companies described DDSC as a regulated stablecoin backed by the UAE dirham and intended to support digital payments and programmable financial services. They said the token will operate on ADI Chain, a blockchain network developed by the Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation and designed for regulated applications.
The project sponsors said DDSC is intended for institutional and government-led use cases, including payments and collections, high-value settlement and treasury operations, and trade and supply-chain related transactions. They also said the stablecoin is expected to be made available to First Abu Dhabi Bank customers through multiple approved platforms, reflecting a distribution plan anchored in existing banking channels.
ADI Chain was described by the companies as an institutional Layer-2 blockchain built to support high-performance transactions while maintaining controls expected in regulated environments. The ADI Foundation, based in Abu Dhabi, said the network is focused on bridging traditional finance and blockchain-based services, including payment rails that can integrate with existing compliance and oversight requirements for financial institutions.
Financial infrastructure and oversight
The central bank’s approval was cited by the sponsors as a prerequisite for operational deployment, with DDSC framed as a payment token designed to be used in regulated contexts rather than a consumer-focused crypto asset. The companies said the stablecoin is dirham-backed and regulated, and they linked its use cases to established financial activities such as settlement, collections and treasury operations, where transparency and control are key requirements.
DDSC follows an earlier public announcement in April 2025, when International Holding Company, ADQ and First Abu Dhabi Bank said they planned to develop a dirham-backed stablecoin, subject to regulatory approval, to support digital payments and wider economic activity. The February 2026 approval marks the formal authorization needed to move from plans into launch, according to the companies’ statements.
Payments and settlement use cases
The sponsors said DDSC is intended to support transaction flows that can benefit from faster settlement and automated processing, including trade-related payments and supply-chain activity. They also pointed to programmable financial services, a term used to describe payment logic that can be embedded into digital transactions, such as conditional payments or automated reconciliation, within a supervised financial framework.
First Abu Dhabi Bank’s role includes expected access for its customers through approved platforms, the companies said, tying the stablecoin’s rollout to a major UAE lender’s client base. International Holding Company and Sirius International Holding said the initiative aligns with broader efforts to develop regulated digital infrastructure in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE’s financial system.
The announcement did not disclose detailed public information on topics such as reserve management mechanics, redemption operations, or audit schedules. The companies’ statements focused on the central bank approval, the dirham-backed nature of DDSC, its deployment on ADI Chain, and its intended use in regulated institutional and government-linked payment and settlement activity.