UAE“One of the pioneering firms in web3 solutions, digital assets and tokenization, recognized for its innovation and solid reputation across Spain and Latin America.”
Jorge CorredorLawyer, Rincón Cuéllar & Asociados
Asset tokenization in the UAE
We build the platform to tokenize debt, shares and revenue rights in the United Arab Emirates: investor onboarding, ERC-3643 tokens and transfer rules, coordinated with the law firm that structures the issuance before VARA, the ADGM FSRA or the DIFC DFSA, depending on where it is issued.
Tokenize your asset
They trust Metlabs to tokenize their assets
Why the UAE
Why tokenize assets in the UAE?
The UAE has several regulated routes for issuing tokens, split by territory: VARA in Dubai outside the DIFC, the DFSA inside the DIFC and the FSRA in ADGM, alongside the CMA's federal framework. The Dubai Land Department has linked tokens to title deeds in its real estate pilot since 2025. For an issuer, the decision is which right to issue and from which jurisdiction.
2
entities licensed by VARA for Category 1 issuance, the category that covers asset-referenced tokens
VARA · Oct 12, 20267.8M
real estate tokens opened for resale in phase II of the pilot, from February 20, 2026
2021
the year the DFSA launched its Investment Token framework, covering securities and derivatives in token form, in the DIFC
DFSA · Oct 25, 2021What gets tokenized
Debt, equity and revenue: what gets tokenized in the UAE
Almost every tokenized issuance represents one of these three rights against the issuer. In the UAE, the right determines the vehicle and the applicable law, and the jurisdiction of issuance determines the supervisor: VARA, the FSRA or the DFSA. Both are settled before the network or the token standard.
| Right | Debt | Equity | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is issued | Bonds and sukuk | Shares | Revenue rights |
| The investor receives | The investor funds the issuer and receives a periodic coupon or profit payment and, at maturity, the principal. | The investor joins the share capital: dividends, voting rights and a share of any sale or liquidation. | The investor receives a share of the income from an asset: rents, sales or royalties. |
| The token enforces |
|
|
|
| Issuer | PJSC, PrJSC or ADGM/DIFC company | PJSC, PrJSC or ADGM/DIFC company | VARA-licensed issuer in Dubai |
| Register | Issuer and authorized custodian | Share register or depository | Issuer and authorized custodian |
| Law | Law 32/2021, FSMR or DFSA rules | Law 32/2021, FSMR or DFSA rules | VARA issuance rules or FSMR |
| How it is issued | Onshore, only a joint stock company can issue negotiable bonds and sukuk. In ADGM, a token with the features of a security is a digital security, and a public offer requires an FSRA-approved prospectus; in the DIFC it is an Investment Token under DFSA rules. | Membership interests in an onshore LLC do not work as a token: the company can have at most 50 partners, and an assignment requires an official document, the other partners' pre-emption right and entry in the Commercial Register. Only a PJSC can offer securities to the public. | In Dubai, outside the DIFC, a token entitling its holder to an asset's income is an ARVA: the issuer needs a VARA license for Category 1 issuance and VARA approval for each token. In ADGM or the DIFC, the question is whether it is a security or a fund unit. |
Regulation
Regulation guide for the UAEWhich regulation applies to tokenization in the UAE?
It depends on where the token is issued and the right it represents. In Dubai, outside the DIFC, VARA regulates virtual assets, including those that represent assets or their income. The DFSA supervises the DIFC and the FSRA supervises ADGM, and both treat tokens with the features of a security as securities. At federal level, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) has succeeded the SCA since January 2026.
In April 2026 the CMA announced a federal virtual asset framework in five modules, and its markets module covers tokenized securities. It does not remove the financial classification of the instrument or the powers of each zone: authorization in one financial center is not a permit for the whole country, and payments with tokens bring in the Central Bank (CBUAE) regime.
For real estate, the Dubai Land Department launched a title deed tokenization pilot in March 2025 with VARA, the Central Bank and the Dubai Future Foundation, and in February 2026 it opened resale within the program. VARA notes that it remains a controlled test that requires its approvals. We coordinate the structure with specialist law firms, and authorized entities provide the regulated services.
UAE
FavourableScore95
- Scope
- Federal and financial free zones
- Authorities
- CMA, CBUAE, VARA, DFSA, FSRA
- Latest regulatory change
- Apr 2026
Key authorisations
- Activity and jurisdiction-specific authorisation from CMA, VARA, DFSA or FSRA
- CBUAE licence or registration for payment token services, where applicable
- Asset-specific permissions for issuance, trading and custody
Our legal partners
Methodology
How we tokenize an asset in the UAE, step by step
The four phases of our methodology, with the parties involved in the UAE. The law firm and our engineering team work in parallel from the asset review to investor acquisition.
We review the asset's title, encumbrances and cash flows, and decide with the issuer whether the token will be debt, shares or a revenue right. That sets the jurisdiction of issuance (onshore Dubai, ADGM or the DIFC), the vehicle and the rules of the issuance.
The law firm classifies the token before the relevant supervisor: a digital security before the FSRA, an Investment Token before the DFSA or an ARVA before VARA. It drafts the prospectus or exempt offer document and sets which authorized entities hold and distribute the issuance.
We configure the white label platform with your brand: investor onboarding with KYC, signature, payment and ERC-3643 tokens that only move between verified wallets. The connection to the authorized custodian and the coupon, profit or dividend schedules are custom development.
With the issuer and the authorized entity distributing the issuance, we prepare the offer page and measure the journey to a paid subscription. After the issuance, the platform handles distributions, permitted transfers and reporting.
Milestones
Tokenization milestones in the UAE
The rules that opened the issuance of digital assets and tokenized securities in the UAE, taken from our regulation guide. Each milestone links to its source.
See the full timelineVARA publishes virtual asset activity regulations
The framework establishes common and activity-specific requirements within VARA’s remit, excluding DIFC.
VARA · Publication of the 2023 frameworkDIFC Digital Assets Law takes effect
Law 2 of 2024 establishes property rules for digital assets, separate from financial services authorisation.
Official source · Rule or announcementNew federal virtual asset framework announced
The CMA announces a regime comprising five modules and eight regulated activities. The announcement does not replace examination of each module’s conditions and transitional provisions.
CMA · News of 13 April 2026
Reviews in UAE
What do our clients think of Metlabs?
“We structured the tokenization of real estate projects with them, and I value the team's ability to understand our corporate needs and genuinely solve them.”
Joan MejíaManager, GLOBYNE
“They advised us on the feasibility of tokenizing real estate assets in Uruguay with direct, cordial treatment. A professional team, responsive and always available.”
Álvaro Silva SantamaríaCEO, Sp Inmuebles
“Great professionals at structuring tokenized projects, with technical command and attention to detail that inspire full confidence at every stage of the work.”
Francisco BetancourtVerified Google review
“As a blockchain lawyer, I value their experience and professionalism in consulting and executing tokenization projects. Technology partners you can fully trust.”
Vanessa RivasBlockchain lawyer, El Salvador
“Great professionals, very attentive to their clients and always mindful of every detail. Working with their team has been a genuine pleasure from start to finish.”
CriptorentVerified Google review
“A very professional yet approachable company that empathizes with your doubts and needs. Highly recommended for entrepreneurs with a tokenization project.”
Javier EspasaTokenization entrepreneur
“Exceptional in every sense. From legal support I value their rigor and transparency: working with Metlabs means professionalism, innovation and security.”
Pedro A. Agúndez MéndezGoogle Local Guide
“Excellent service across blockchain development, asset tokenization and consulting. A very professional team that I recommend wholeheartedly, without reservation.”
José Luis DíazVerified Google review
“I have worked with them on several projects and they are very professional. A guarantee that everything turns out perfectly. Without a doubt, 100% recommended.”
Ignacio Fernández JiménezVerified Google review
“One of the pioneering firms in web3 solutions, digital assets and tokenization, recognized for its innovation and solid reputation across Spain and Latin America.”
Jorge CorredorLawyer, Rincón Cuéllar & Asociados
“Great professionals at structuring tokenized projects, with technical command and attention to detail that inspire full confidence at every stage of the work.”
Francisco BetancourtVerified Google review
“A very professional yet approachable company that empathizes with your doubts and needs. Highly recommended for entrepreneurs with a tokenization project.”
Javier EspasaTokenization entrepreneur
“I have worked with them on several projects and they are very professional. A guarantee that everything turns out perfectly. Without a doubt, 100% recommended.”
Ignacio Fernández JiménezVerified Google review
“We structured the tokenization of real estate projects with them, and I value the team's ability to understand our corporate needs and genuinely solve them.”
Joan MejíaManager, GLOBYNE
“As a blockchain lawyer, I value their experience and professionalism in consulting and executing tokenization projects. Technology partners you can fully trust.”
Vanessa RivasBlockchain lawyer, El Salvador
“Exceptional in every sense. From legal support I value their rigor and transparency: working with Metlabs means professionalism, innovation and security.”
Pedro A. Agúndez MéndezGoogle Local Guide
“They advised us on the feasibility of tokenizing real estate assets in Uruguay with direct, cordial treatment. A professional team, responsive and always available.”
Álvaro Silva SantamaríaCEO, Sp Inmuebles
“Great professionals, very attentive to their clients and always mindful of every detail. Working with their team has been a genuine pleasure from start to finish.”
CriptorentVerified Google review
“Excellent service across blockchain development, asset tokenization and consulting. A very professional team that I recommend wholeheartedly, without reservation.”
José Luis DíazVerified Google review
Platform
What does our white label tokenization platform include in the UAE?
The investor portal, ERC-3643 tokens and issuer console, under your brand. Out of the box it handles onboarding, signing, payment and distributions; anything else your issuance needs, such as a local payment method or a connection to your bank or custodian, we build on the same platform.
Request a demo
- Your brand and domainYour visual identity and legal notices across the investor portal.
- Investor onboardingSign-up, KYC with Emirates ID or passport, KYB, AML/CFT controls and a custodial wallet.
- End-to-end investmentElectronic signature and payment in dirhams by bank transfer.
- ERC-3643 tokensEvery subscription is issued under the DIFC exempt offer rules.
- Issuer consoleProjects, investors, dirham reconciliation, distributions and reporting.
- Compliance and audit trailKYC file, sanctions screening and AML/CFT per investor, and an exportable audit log.
Institutional custody, integrated
We integrate custody and key management providers through their APIs, including Fireblocks, BitGo, Coinbase Prime, Anchorage Digital, Copper and Ledger Enterprise. Depending on the provider and model, keys are managed with MPC or multisig so that none depends on a single device. If the token is a security, custody on behalf of clients is provided by an authorized entity.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about tokenization in the UAE
What we are asked before a project starts.
Talk to our teamIs asset tokenization legal in the UAE?
Yes, through separate routes. In Dubai, outside the DIFC, issuing an asset-referenced token requires a VARA license; in ADGM and the DIFC, a token with the features of a security follows the securities rules of the FSRA or the DFSA. There is no single license for the whole country: the permission depends on the zone and the activity.
Can a UAE LLC be tokenized?
Its membership interests cannot be the token: the Commercial Companies Law reserves the issuance of negotiable shares, bonds and sukuk to joint stock companies, and assigning an LLC interest requires an official document and entry in the Commercial Register. The alternative is to issue from a joint stock company or from an ADGM or DIFC company.
Do you need a prospectus to offer tokens in ADGM?
If the token is a security and is offered to the public in or from ADGM, the FSRA must approve the prospectus first. Exempt offers, aimed at professional clients or a limited number of people, do not need one, although the token must still be classified as a security. The law firm chooses the route based on the intended investors.
Does the token give ownership of the property in Dubai?
Only within the Dubai Land Department pilot, which tokenizes title deeds through admitted platforms and issues a property token ownership certificate. Outside that program, the token represents a right against the issuer, such as a share in the owning company or in its rents, and the title deed stays in its owner's name.
Asset tokenization
Assets we tokenize in UAE.
Asset tokenization
Articles on tokenization
Real Asset Tokenization: How RWA Tokenization Works
How to structure an RWA project: holder rights, issuance, recordkeeping, payments and recovery. What blockchain adds and what depends on the legal arrangement.
Real estate tokenization companies and platforms
How to compare tokenized real estate platforms and companies by role, rights, integration and operations, separating technology, issuance and distribution.
OpenZeppelin and ERC-3643: how a security token is built
What OpenZeppelin libraries and ERC-3643 controls provide, and what a securities issuance also requires: rights, permissions, operations and review.
Tokenize your asset in the UAE
Tell us which right you want to issue and we will propose the technical structure, timeline and phased budget.
Where we are
We're your tokenization company in:
Metlabs Offices
Av. García Sabell, 1, Edificio Proa 15009 A Coruña, Spain
We tokenize assets in
SpainUnited StatesUnited KingdomMexicoSingaporeAustraliaSwitzerlandColombiaArgentinaChilePeruPortugalGermanyHong KongBrazilEcuadorFranceIndiaPanamaAndorraAustriaBahrainBelgiumBoliviaCanadaCosta RicaCubaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkDominican RepublicEl SalvadorEstoniaFinlandGreeceGuatemalaHondurasHungaryIrelandIsraelItalyJapanKuwaitLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMonacoMoroccoNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorwayOmanParaguayPolandPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaSan MarinoSaudi ArabiaSeychellesSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSwedenTurkeyUruguayVenezuela
