Key facts
- ADI Chain and Shipfinex are partnering to tokenize commercial ships.
- The global commercial shipping market is valued at approximately $2 trillion.
- Shipfinex holds an 'In-Principle Approval' from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.
- Approximately 35 vessels, valued at $500 million, are candidates for tokenization.
- Tokens will represent financial claims tied to vessels, not legal ownership.
ADI Chain and Shipfinex are collaborating to tokenize commercial ships, aiming to unlock the estimated $2 trillion maritime asset market for institutional investors. This partnership seeks to create a regulated digital route into maritime finance, which has traditionally been dominated by a closed circle of lenders and shipowners.
Shipfinex will identify qualifying vessels and structure investment deals, while ADI Chain will convert these into blockchain tokens and facilitate payments using stablecoins. The initiative is currently targeted at qualified institutional participants, not retail investors. Each token will represent a financial claim tied to a specific vessel's economics and legal structure, without granting token holders legal ownership of the ship.
While no tokens have been issued yet, Shipfinex has identified approximately 35 vessels worth around $500 million as potential candidates for tokenization, pending final regulatory approval and deal finalization. This move signifies an expansion of tokenization beyond financial instruments into physical, capital-intensive assets like ships, which are crucial to global trade, accounting for over 80% of international goods volume.
This initiative is not the first in the maritime tokenization space, with rivals like Galactica and Ethra Ship already having established similar deals. ADI Chain is an institutional blockchain platform based in Abu Dhabi, known for hosting the dirham-backed stablecoin DDSC, which has previously facilitated significant transactions.