{"id":24434,"date":"2026-01-29T09:05:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:05:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/?p=24434"},"modified":"2026-01-29T09:05:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T09:05:25","slug":"universal-launches-uaes-first-central-bank-registered-usd-stablecoin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/universal-launches-uaes-first-central-bank-registered-usd-stablecoin\/","title":{"rendered":"Universal Launches UAE\u2019s First Central Bank-Registered USD Stablecoin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Universal Digital Intl Limited (\u201cUniversal\u201d), regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (\u201cFSRA\u201d) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (\u201cADGM\u201d), today announced that it has become the\u00a0<strong>first Foreign Payment Token Issuer registered by the Central Bank of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uaetoday.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UAE<\/a> (\u201cCBUAE\u201d)<\/strong>, alongside the launch of\u00a0<strong>USDU<\/strong>, the first USD-backed stablecoin to be registered as a Foreign Payment Token under the UAE\u2019s Payment Token Services Regulation (\u201cPTSR\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This marks a significant milestone in the UAE\u2019s development of regulated digital-asset infrastructure and positions USDU as the country\u2019s first compliant USD-denominated settlement for digital assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the PTSR, payments for digital assets and digital-asset derivatives in the UAE may only be conducted in fiat or a Registered Foreign Payment Token, making the availability of a registered token essential for compliant operations. With USDU currently the first and only token registered under this framework, it provides a clear, compliant settlement option for the UAE digital-asset market. This effectively establishes the UAE\u2019s first clear USD stablecoin pathway for compliant settlement of digital assets, a structure many global markets are still in the process of defining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement also highlights Universal\u2019s\u00a0<strong>strategic banking relationships with<br>Emirates NBD, Mashreq, and Mbank<\/strong>, underscoring the institutional-grade backbone behind USDU, and signalling growing confidence from key regional banking players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reserves backing USDU are held 1:1 in safeguarded onshore accounts at\u00a0<strong>Emirates NBD and Mashreq<\/strong>, with\u00a0<strong>Mbank<\/strong>\u00a0supporting Universal as a strategic corporate banking partner. Reserves are independently attested each month by a global accounting firm.\u00a0This level of transparency mirrors the emerging global standards seen in regulated regimes such as those in the EU, Japan, and select U.S. frameworks.\u00a0Universal is also collaborating with\u00a0<strong>AECoin,\u00a0<\/strong>the first licensed AED stablecoin in the UAE, to enable future USDU\u2013AECoin conversion for domestic settlement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Universal\u2019s go-to-market strategy includes a partnership with\u00a0<strong>Aquanow<\/strong>, a global infrastructure provider serving leading institutions across multiple markets. In the UAE, Aquanow is regulated under the Dubai\u2019s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (\u201cVARA\u201d). This collaboration positions USDU for compliant uptake in the UAE and rapid integration into the broader digital-asset ecosystem through Aquanow\u2019s established network of regulated service providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201c<\/strong>USDU sets a new benchmark for regulated digital value,<strong>\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0said\u00a0<strong>Juha Viitala, SEO of Universal<\/strong>.\u00a0<strong>\u201c<\/strong>Being the first Foreign Payment Token registered by the UAE Central Bank \u2013 and supported by leading UAE banks \u2013 gives institutions the clarity and confidence they have been waiting for. It lays the groundwork for a more transparent and efficient digital-asset market in the UAE and beyond.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Anith Daniel, Group Head of Transaction Banking Services, Emirates NBD,\u00a0<\/strong>said<strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWe are pleased to support Universal\u2019s introduction of USDU to the UAE\u2019s financial services ecosystem. We continue to support solutions that bolster the nation\u2019s rapidly developing, well-regulated digital-asset infrastructure in line with our vision to be a digital leader in the region.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see growing institutional interest in regulated digital-value instruments, and Universal\u2019s introduction of USDU is a timely step that supports this market\u2019s maturation,\u201d said<strong>\u00a0Joel Van Dusen, Group Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, Mashreq.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUniversal\u2019s work in building regulated digital-value infrastructure closely aligns with Mbank\u2019s commitment to enabling secure, compliant, and future-ready financial innovation that supports the UAE\u2019s evolving digital-payments ecosystem,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Mohammed Wassim Khayata, CEO Mbank.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur collaboration with Universal contributes to the development of approved mechanisms that support compliant, domestic digital-asset usage within the UAE\u2019s regulated financial framework,\u201d said<strong>\u00a0Ramez Rafeek, General Manager AE Coin.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUniversal\u2019s introduction of USDU underscores the continued maturation of regulated digital settlement assets. Aquanow\u2019s platform is built to support this evolution by providing institutions with secure, compliant market access, and we are pleased to support the distribution of USDU,\u201d said\u00a0<strong>Phil Sham, CEO, Aquanow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond the UAE,\u00a0<strong>USDU is built to connect with international digital asset markets<\/strong>, enabling institutions to move regulated digital value across global platforms where permitted by local regulation. Its supervised structure and institutional foundation allow USDU to serve as a trusted link between established financial systems and the emerging digital asset economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Internationally, Universal is developing an expanded ecosystem around USDU, collaborating with banks, market operators, and technology partners to enable regulated digital settlement use cases. This includes ongoing work to support institutional trading venues and future interoperability mechanisms.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These developments collectively reinforce the UAE\u2019s emergence as a leading jurisdiction for regulated digital finance, offering one of the world\u2019s first operational models for compliant USD-backed digital settlement instruments.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Universal Digital Intl Limited (\u201cUniversal\u201d), regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (\u201cFSRA\u201d) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (\u201cADGM\u201d), today announced that it has become the\u00a0first Foreign Payment Token Issuer registered by the Central Bank of the UAE (\u201cCBUAE\u201d), alongside the launch of\u00a0USDU, the first USD-backed stablecoin to be registered as a Foreign Payment Token [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":24437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",900,600,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",900,600,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",900,600,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",150,100,false],"medium":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",300,200,false],"large":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",900,600,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",900,600,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",900,600,false],"post-thumbnail":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",630,420,false],"graptor-sq-xs":["https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Untitled-29.jpg",100,67,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Admin CG","author_link":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/author\/admin-cg\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/category\/news\/\" rel=\"category tag\">news<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Universal Digital Intl Limited (\u201cUniversal\u201d), regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (\u201cFSRA\u201d) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (\u201cADGM\u201d), today announced that it has become the\u00a0first Foreign Payment Token Issuer registered by the Central Bank of the UAE (\u201cCBUAE\u201d), alongside the launch of\u00a0USDU, the first USD-backed stablecoin to be registered as a Foreign Payment Token&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24434"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24434\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24438,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24434\/revisions\/24438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cryptounplugged.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}