ADI Chain Debuts Mainnet and $ADI Token, Marking MENA’s First Institutional Layer-2 Network

Abu Dhabi-based network launches mainnet with $ADI token, 50+ projects in the pipeline for deployment, and infrastructure ready to host dirham-backed stablecoin 

Today, the ADI Foundation announced the mainnet launch of ADI Chain, the first institutional L2 blockchain for stablecoins and real-world assets in the MENA region. The $ADI token launches simultaneously on Kraken, and KuCoin, and soon on eToro. The token will also be available through , enabling users to manage $ADI directly within the Telegram app, as well as , the global banking and investment platform.

After months of development and institutional partnerships, the infrastructure built to solve blockchain adoption in emerging markets becomes a reality.

Why Governments Need Different Infrastructure

ADI Foundation set out with a clear mission: onboard one billion people to blockchain by 2030. Achieving goals of this magnitude requires governments to actively participate in blockchain deployment. Yet the world’s fastest-growing economies – spanning the Middle East, Asia, and Africa – operate under fundamentally different constraints. National payment systems rely on centralized infrastructure. Currency regulations mandate government oversight of cross-border capital flows. Monetary policy depends on jurisdictional control over transaction networks.

ADI Chain emerged as a purpose-built infrastructure for these exact requirements. 

This L2 network enables governments and institutions to deploy blockchain-based innovations, including stablecoins, cross-border remittances, tokenized real-world assets, digital payments, and secured healthcare data. Governments and institutions can now build compliant, regulated L3 chains aligned with local laws and requirements. 

The $ADI token is the native gas token for all transactions on ADI Chain and its associated L3 domains, serving as the settlement currency within the ecosystem and facilitating value exchange between enterprises, developers, validators, and users across Web3-native and enterprise-grade use cases. Token holders can also stake $ADI into a treasury-backed pool as a part of the network’s governance and utility features.

Building on a Network of 50+ Businesses

ADI Chain was chosen to host the UAE Dirham-backed stablecoin, which will be issued by two major players in the region: First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC, and is set to be regulated by the UAE Central Bank.

ADI has partnered with ADREC to accelerate blockchain adoption in Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector through tokenized ownership and secure digital registries. ADI Foundation also signed an MoU with Emirates Driving Company to pilot blockchain solutions for the UAE’s driver education sector, including secure digital records, automated workflows, and stablecoin payments.

Key technology partners include ZKsync, which powers ADI Chain’s scalability and security through zero-knowledge proofs, making ADI the first public blockchain built with ZKsync’s Airbender stack. Alchemy provides infrastructure for national-scale deployment, while WalletConnect powers wallet-to-dApp connectivity, and Covalent delivers real-time blockchain data for institutional applications.

Founded by Sirius International Holding, a digital arm of IHC —  MENA’s largest listed holding company, the ADI Foundation drives the mission to onboard one billion people to blockchain by 2030, expanding partnerships across 20 countries and championing institutional adoption in the MENA region and beyond. 

ADI Chain is the compliant, scalable infrastructure layer built by the ADI Foundation to make this vision a reality. The L2 network launches with partnerships across 20 countries and over 50 projects in the pipeline for deployment.

Next Milestones

Mainnet marks the shift from testing to deployment. Governments, institutions, and developers can now deploy applications for payments, digital identity, and economic connectivity. The dirham-backed stablecoin (DDSC) will launch on ADI Chain, demonstrating how regulated stablecoins operate within national legal frameworks.

In January, the ADI Foundation will participate in the World Economic Forum in Davos as part of IHC House, presenting how ADI Chain supports national infrastructure for payments, digital identity, and governance. In February, the foundation will connect with developers at ETHDenver to explore Web3 opportunities and present sovereign infrastructure capabilities.

The ‘Future Tech 4.0’ educational platform will launch alongside ADGM and leading universities to train over 10,000 Web3 specialists in Abu Dhabi.

Bringing a different idea of blockchain to life has begun. With mainnet live, $ADI token launched, and partnerships spanning over 20 countries, ADI Foundation now enables governments and institutions across emerging markets in service of its core mission: bringing one billion people onchain by 2030. 

That’s Different.

About ADI Foundation & ADI Chain

ADI Foundation is an Abu Dhabi-based non-profit founded by Sirius International Holding, a subsidiary of IHC, dedicated to empowering governments and institutions in emerging markets through blockchain infrastructure. The foundation’s mission is to bring one billion people into the digital economy by 2030, building on a foundation of 500+ million people already within its ecosystem reach.

ADI Chain is the first institutional Layer 2 blockchain for stablecoins and real-world assets in the MENA region, providing settlement infrastructure for First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC’s dirham-backed stablecoin, set to be regulated by the UAE Central Bank. The network operates on three pillars – Compliance, Efficiency, Security – serving governments implementing blockchain infrastructure across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

ADI Chain and the ADI token are developed by ADI DLT Foundation (“ADI”), a technology foundation.