$500 million plan to tokenize 35 commercial vessels highlights institutional blockchain push

ADI Foundation is working to tokenize about 35 commercial vessels worth around $500 million, combining real-world assets with stablecoin settlement as it develops blockchain infrastructure for institutional finance.

In a November 7 interview on Cointelegraph’s X account, ADI Foundation CEO Andrei Lazarenko outlined the project and the foundation’s institutional infrastructure. He said ADI Chain was designed to accommodate institutions’ existing operating practices.

Lazarenko said the vessel project involves a partnership with Ship Phoenix, which originates and structures the assets while ADI provides blockchain distribution and settlement. The initial pipeline comprises around 35 vessels valued at about $500 million, with settlement expected in stablecoins including DDSC. He said initial deployments had already taken place.

ADI Chain also serves as the exclusive settlement layer for DDSC, a dirham-linked stablecoin, according to Lazarenko. He said it was issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC, licensed by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates and integrated into retail and institutional applications. ADI has also partnered with Securitize to distribute tokenized securities globally through its issuance infrastructure and distribution channels, he added.

Lazarenko described ADI Chain’s Ethereum layer-2 architecture and modular design as the basis for these services. Institutions and governments can use tailored subchains with programmable compliance, he said. The infrastructure supports payments, settlement, identity, on-chain and off-chain data, and privacy where required, allowing institutions to retain their established workflows.

He cited the regulatory framework at Abu Dhabi Global Market, or ADGM, as a reason for operating from the United Arab Emirates. Lazarenko described its approach to tokenized assets, digital currencies, blockchains and foundations as progressive. He said ADI’s infrastructure runs on UAE sovereign cloud infrastructure, with a structure that allows regulators to oversee the chain and its compliance arrangements.

Regional differences in regulation and gaps in common standards remain obstacles to broader adoption, Lazarenko said. While he described stablecoin payments and tokenization as mature in many regions, he said digital identity standards and interoperability between institutional systems still lacked clarity. He also identified security as a core requirement, saying institutions cannot compromise on it.

Lazarenko said emerging markets could use stablecoins to advance their financial infrastructure, drawing a comparison with the adoption of mobile money in Africa. He said stablecoin payments could give users access to cheaper, faster and more secure financial services while supporting trade and the AI economy.

He expects programmable payments, assets moving on-chain and connections between fragmented markets to develop through institutional blockchains alongside AI. Lazarenko said ADI plans to expand its real-world asset framework from the United Arab Emirates into Global South countries starting next year, with more projects, liquidity and assets expected to move on-chain over the next 12 months.