UAE Dirham stablecoin L2 goes live on millions of Exodus wallets

ADI Foundation's institutional Layer 2 network, ADI Chain, is now natively supported in the Exodus wallet, bringing the infrastructure for a UAE Dirham-backed stablecoin to millions of self-custody users as of May 8.

"ADI Chain was designed to serve the institutions that serve billions of people. Exodus turns that pipeline into a reality, moving regulated settlement infrastructure out of the back office and into everyday wallets," Andrey Lazorenko, CEO of ADI Foundation, said.

The integration gives Exodus users direct send-and-receive access to ADI, a zkRollup on Ethereum that is the first production deployment of ZKsync’s Airbender zero-knowledge proof system. The network provides the settlement layer for a Dirham stablecoin initiated by First Abu Dhabi Bank and International Holding Company (IHC), which is set to be regulated by the UAE Central Bank.

This move connects institutional-grade, regulated financial infrastructure with the retail self-custody market, potentially accelerating the adoption of tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) in a region that saw over $56 billion in crypto transactions last year, according to Chainalysis data cited by the organizations.

Scaling Through B2B and Self-Custody

The collaboration extends beyond individual Exodus wallet users. Support for the ADI Mainnet will also be rolled out across Exodus's B2B client network, allowing enterprise and platform partners to offer ADI functionality to their own end users. This aligns with ADI Chain's strategy to provide infrastructure for institutions that serve millions.

"Adding ADI to the wallet gives its users a self-custodial path onto the network," Kevin Wood, Director of Revenue Operations at Exodus, said. "The networks that matter reach more people when self-custody is the default."

An Institutional Stack for Tokenized Assets

The ADI Chain is positioned as the first institutional L2 for stablecoins and tokenized RWAs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The Exodus integration is the latest in a series of partnerships designed to build a comprehensive institutional technology stack.

In April, tokenization infrastructure provider Brickken partnered with the ADI Foundation to deploy its issuance technology on the chain, enabling compliant tokenization of assets including equity, debt, and real estate. Brickken has already tokenized over $450 million in assets across its ecosystem. The ADI Chain has also secured partnerships with Chainlink for oracle services and Fireblocks for institutional custody.

Regulation as a Foundation

The project operates on three core pillars: Regulation, Compliance, and Policy. The ADI Foundation, an Abu Dhabi-based non-profit founded by a subsidiary of IHC, has a stated mission to bring one billion people into the digital economy by 2030, starting with a base of over 500 million users within its existing ecosystem reach.

By building infrastructure for a dirham-backed stablecoin licensed by the UAE Central Bank and initiated by leading local institutions like FAB and IHC, the ADI Chain aims to bridge the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset economy. The network's security has been audited by OpenZeppelin, reinforcing its bank-grade positioning.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.