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The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has announced the commencement of its engagement with selected participants in the Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox, advancing its mission to foster responsible innovation in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

The firms have been admitted to the Innovation Testing Licence (ITL) program, a strategic initiative that enables financial entities to test cutting-edge products and services in a controlled regulatory environment. This marks the latest phase in DFSA’s ongoing commitment to balancing financial innovation with market integrity and consumer protection.

The DFSA has been at the forefront of regulatory innovation, launching the ITL program in 2017. It introduced the region’s first Investment Token regime in 2021 and expanded its framework in 2022 to include Crypto Tokens, with continued enhancements in 2024 including stablecoin approvals and refined token-recognition criteria.

These developments have laid the groundwork for the Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox, which debuted in March 2025 and attracted 96 expressions of interest from global fintech hubs including the UAE, UK, EU, Canada, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Embracing Tokenisation as a Financial Game-Changer

The DFSA reviewed a wide array of tokenisation proposals – from digital bonds and Islamic sukuk, to property and money market fund units, and the custody and trading of tokenised financial assets. This demonstrated the broad transformative potential of tokenisation across the investment spectrum.

Participants included a mix of established financial institutions exploring tokenised asset models, and innovative start-ups scaling blockchain-based solutions. Applications were rigorously evaluated based on their use case clarity, technological readiness, and regulatory fit.

Industry Voices and Regulatory Insight

Speaking at the DFSA’s Policy & Legal Roundtable, Charlotte Robins, Managing Director of Policy & Legal at DFSA, stated:

“The global interest in our Tokenisation Regulatory Sandbox signals the importance of, and growing appetite for, responsible innovation. By working closely with local and international firms, we are promoting new ideas that can meet regulatory expectations while supporting market integrity within the DIFC.”

What’s Next?

The DFSA will now co-develop customised testing plans with each selected firm. Trials will commence in a sandboxed environment over the coming weeks. Some applicants, due to operational maturity and prior regulatory experience, were assessed as ready for full market authorisation.

Insights gained from this testing phase will help shape future regulatory policies, contributing to the refinement of DFSA’s digital assets framework and supporting the DIFC’s role as a leading global fintech hub.

This initiative supports Dubai’s Economic Agenda D33, which aims to position Dubai among the top four global financial centres by 2033, and aligns with the region’s ambition to lead in digital finance and ESG-aligned innovation.

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