ADI Chain raises USD 50 mn to push blockchain beyond crypto trading

ADI Chain eyes expanding L2 infrastructure after landing USD 50 mn investment: Abu Dhabi-linked institutional blockchain ecosystem ADI Chain — founded by International Holding Company’s (IHC) digital arm Sirius International Holding — secured a USD 50 mn strategic investment to scale its sovereign-grade Layer-2 infrastructure for governments, financial institutions, and enterprises, according to a press release. ADI Chain operates under ADI Foundation, the nonprofit through which Sirius runs the project. A spokesperson from ADI Chain declined to disclose the identity of the investor when asked by EnterpriseAM.

Where the money is going: The funding will be deployed across network infrastructure, developer incentives, institutional integrations, and expansion across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia — where ADI Foundation says governments and financial institutions are exploring blockchain infrastructure for payments, public-service digitization, and digital-economy buildout.

The proof point is live usage: ADI Chain is being used as the settlement layer for ADI Predictstreet, the official FIFA World Cup prediction market, in partnership with Kalshi. Every prediction, settlement, and on-chain transaction on the platform feeds activity back into ADI Chain and supports the ADI token’s role as the network’s gas and utility token.

Stablecoins are the bigger institutional play: DDSC, a UAE-based AED-pegged stablecoin launched earlier this month through a tie-up between FAB, IHC, and Sirius International Holding, is operating exclusively on ADI Chain. DDSC is in a phased commercial rollout, starting with institutional payment use cases, an ADI Chain spokesperson tells EnterpriseAM UAE. The cumulative transaction volume on the network currently stands at about USD 150 mn, they added.

REMEMBER- This is part of a wider buildout of blockchain and the infrastructure supporting stablecoins: As we previously reported, AED-backed stablecoins are moving beyond crypto trading into business payments, remittances, treasury use cases, and cross-border settlement. AE Coin was the UAE’s first CBUAE-licensed stablecoin, while Zand Bank and Rakbank have also secured approvals for AED stablecoins.