ADI Foundation and DCM Partner to Enable Tokenized Deposits Across Africa and MENA

What to know

• Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation and UK-based fintech DCM Corp Limited have launched an exclusive technical partnership across MENA and Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The partnership allows traditional banks to issue, manage, and settle tokenized deposits on ADI Chain while preserving their existing core banking systems, regulatory controls, and balance sheets.
• The initiative builds directly on ADI Foundation’s historic agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to power intra-African digital trade infrastructure.

Abu Dhabi-based ADI Foundation has entered an exclusive technical partnership with London-headquartered fintech DCM Corp Limited. The partnership aims to bring tokenized deposits to commercial banks across the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

If successful, the partnership could unlock a cost-effective and more convenient way for banks across MENA and sub-Saharan Africa to issue and settle tokenized deposits without dismantling their current systems.

Under the agreement, DCM will serve as ADI’s exclusive provider and implementation partner for tokenized deposit solutions within these regions. In return, ADI will provide DCM with exclusive distribution and referral channels on the ADI chain.

Who Are ADI Foundation and DCM?

ADI Foundation is a non-profit organisation built by the digital arm of International Holding Company, Sirius International Holding. The foundation, which built the ADI Chain, a Layer-2 blockchain, says its mission is to connect a billion people to the digital economy by 2030. ADI Chain is the settlement layer for the licensed dirham-backed stablecoin, DDSC. 

DCM Corp Limited is a banking infrastructure firm. They design tools such as their proprietary Side-core platform, enabling banks to use tokenized deposits and stablecoin payments without replacing their existing core software. Its founders have reportedly built blockchain systems for regulated banks across the Americas, Asia and Europe since 2016.

The Legacy Banking Problem

The problems that plague traditional banking systems are well documented. In Africa, international transfers and cross-border business payments take days to complete and cost a lot. Cheaper, more efficient cross-border payment systems could strengthen trade across the continent, generating $290 billion in income gains. 

Faster, cheaper digital solutions are emerging. Stablecoins, for one, have become increasingly popular as settlement rails for financial giants across the globe, including Africa.

Public blockchains, like ADI Chain, offer faster, 24/7 instant settlement. It makes for easier cross-border movement and requires far fewer manual reconciliation steps than traditional systems. So why are banks not using it? 

Regulated banks have spent decades, some centuries, building their current banking systems. While they may worry about regulatory and operational risk, they do not doubt the technology. To replace their established core systems, banks will need to spend tens, maybe hundreds, of millions of dollars over multiple years. For them, the cost and the regulatory uncertainty aren’t worth the benefit. 

ADI Foundation Chief Business Officer Svyatoslav Senyuta understands the problem. “Banks do not need another technology project that requires them to build systems that already work.” “The practical path,” he says, “is to connect new capabilities to the infrastructure banks already trust and operate every day.”

He adds, “DCM provides that connection, while ADI provides the institutional blockchain infrastructure and regional reach across MENA and Africa. Together, we want to make tokenized deposits a deployable banking capability, rather than a multi-year transformation project.”

How the Partnership Solves the Problem

Tokenized deposits are blockchain representations of an existing commercial bank’s money. Tokenized deposits allow customer deposits that exist on the bank’s books to gain the ability to move around the clock and follow programmable rules. Smart contracts can automate transactions and allow funds to move instantly when certain specific conditions are met.

Through DCM’s Side Core platform, deposits remain on the bank’s balance sheet. This means they aren’t moved into third-party crypto assets or exposed to external custody risks. With Side-core, tokenized deposits operate under the same compliance, regulatory, and AML frameworks that the banks use.

It also supports ISO 20022, the payment messaging standard banks use, enabling more seamless integration with existing workflows. 

This reduces the operational and regulatory risk that banks typically worry about, and is more cost-effective, as it does not require a complete system overhaul.

In the words of DCM director Maryna Virko, “Banks should not have to choose between maintaining trusted core infrastructure and participating in the next generation of financial services. DCM was built to allow institutions to add blockchain capabilities such as tokenized deposits while preserving their existing systems, controls and customer relationships.” 

On the partnership, she says, “Partnering with ADI combines that technology with institutional blockchain infrastructure and a strong route to market across MENA and Africa, creating a practical model for banks looking to adopt blockchain without unnecessary disruption.”

Ecosystem Implications

This deal isn’t ADI Foundation’s first foray into the continent. In January 2026, the company partnered with M-Pesa to integrate blockchain infrastructure across eight African countries and over 60 million monthly users. 

In July 2026, ADI signed a strategic partnership with the AfCTA Secretariat to develop Africa’s digital trade infrastructure. The partnership aims to eliminate friction and reduce settlement costs by 90% for intra-African commerce. The project, one of AfCTA’s digital trade innovations, is still in its early pilot phase. The DCM partnership adds a practical element to that ambition.

For the average bank customer, this lays the groundwork for banks to offer you faster transfers and lower fees without overhauling the systems that keep your money safe.