VARA and Securitize sign memorandum of understanding to promote the expansion of tokenization innova

Dubai VARA signed a memorandum of understanding with Securitize to accelerate the regulatory tokenization process in the United Arab Emirates

The Dubai Virtual Assets Authority (VARA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Securitize, a tokenization platform backed by BlackRock. The move aims to accelerate regulated tokenization activities in the United Arab Emirates. According to an announcement disclosed to media on Thursday, the memorandum establishes a cooperation framework aimed at supporting Dubai's tokenization and digital asset infrastructure, encouraging institutional participation, and helping define how tokenized financial products will operate in the emirate's regulatory environment.

Core Points

• Cooperation Framework Establishment: VARA and Securitize agreed to establish a regulatory and industry collaboration framework for tokenization in Dubai.
• Macro cooperation model: This memorandum is positioned as a broad cooperation model rather than the release of specific tokenized products or technology stacks.
• Contribution from a regulatory perspective: Dubai continues to position tokenization as a regulated financial infrastructure, and VARA emphasizes its regulatory "perspective" as one of the key contributions.
• Demand for RWA surges: Demand for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) has increased significantly recently, and data shows that both the number of holders and the total value of tokenized assets are increasing.
• Resonance of global trends: Dubai's actions echo this trend as market operators such as the London Stock Exchange push tokenized securities into a more mature trading calendar.

VARA and Securitize Focus on Regulated Tokenization in Dubai

According to the memorandum of understanding, VARA and Securitize stated that they aim to support regulated tokenization initiatives in Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates. The agreement also covers tokenization projects initiated by VARA, with a special focus on how to align tokenized financial products with Dubai's existing regulatory framework.

When asked about the infrastructure goals of the memorandum, a VARA spokesperson said the move was aimed at establishing a collaborative structure between the two organizations, rather than delivering specific technology implementations or named products. "Our intention is to combine VARA's regulatory perspective with Securitize's experience in institutional-level tokenization to determine how and where collaboration can help support the development of a trusted, regulated tokenization market in Dubai."

spokesperson added that no specific projects will be announced at this stage. However, the agreement creates a formal channel for cooperation, which VARA notes will "support relevant tokenization initiatives in Dubai."

The shift from concept to "mainstream" infrastructure

Dubai's push for tokenization does not see it as an experimental niche, but a step towards more traditional financial market infrastructure. Carlos Domingo, co-founder and CEO of Securitize, described Dubai as one of the most "forward-looking" jurisdictions in digital asset innovation and emphasized the importance of regulatory collaboration as tokenization matures.

Domingo's comments reflect a broader industry narrative: tokenization is increasingly seen as a way for traditional finance to gain on-chain settlement and programmable workflows, but only if regulators provide clear operating boundaries.

This theme is enhanced through VARA's licensing activities. In early July, VARA issued its 50th virtual asset service provider (VASP) license to Tribe Tokenisation FZE, an example of regulators expanding the number of licensed participants in the ecosystem. Although the memorandum with Securitize did not announce specific licensing activities, it suggests regulators are seeking institutional-level platforms as partners in building "trusted" markets.

Rising RWA adoption rates and institutional platform scale effects

In addition to Dubai-specific policy developments, the signing of this memorandum comes amid the accelerated development of tokenized real-world assets. Data provider RWA.xyz reported that in the past 30 days, the total number of RWA token holders has increased by 103% to 3.2 million. During the same period, the total value of tokenized assets increased by 2% to $38.5 billion.

These data help explain why institutional platforms are increasingly positioning tokenization as a serious revenue and infrastructure layer rather than a purely experimental technology. The announcement describes Securitize as the world's largest tokenized platform for assets managed, with tokenized assets under management reaching US$4.9 billion. Ondo Finance ranks second with US$3.5 billion under management.

The real impact for investors and market participants is that regulatory discussions are synchronized with substantial growth in participation and capital in tokenized asset classes-particularly in the RWA area where compliance and asset management are core concerns.

Dubai's move reflects momentum for broader tokenization securities

Dubai's memorandum of understanding comes as tokenization continues to spread through market structures in other jurisdictions. Earlier reports pointed out that the London Stock Exchange reportedly partnered with crypto exchange Kraken to launch tokenized stock trading at its night trading venue, aiming to provide trading services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

While Dubai's agreement focuses on regulated tokenization infrastructure and the operation of tokenized financial products under VARA supervision, the parallelism is clear: both developments suggest that tokenization is moving from the issuance and experimental phase to the distribution and market access phase, with regulatory fit, liquidity and operational reliability becoming decisive factors.

As VARA and Securitize begin to work under the framework of the memorandum of understanding, the key next question for participants is: Will this collaboration produce a specific pilot plan or licensing path? And as demand for RWA continues to grow, how can Dubai's regulatory approach transform tokenization activities into lasting market infrastructure?