Tether gains Abu Dhabi’s approval to expand USDT use across nine major chains

Tether's USDT stablecoin has received regulatory recognition as an accepted fiat-referenced token across various major blockchains within Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), advancing the company's push to expand its footprint in the region.In a Monday statement, Tether said that authorities permit authorized persons licensed within the financial free zone to offer regulated activities involving USDT across networks, including Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON, and TRON. The move is expected to widen USDT's reach within the UAE's international financial center and builds on earlier approvals for USDT on Ethereum, Solana and Avalanche."Introducing USDT within ADGM's regulated digital asset framework reinforces the role of stablecoins as essential components of today's financial landscape," said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, in the statement. "By extending recognition to USDT on several major blockchains, ADGM further strengthens Abu Dhabi's position as a global hub for compliant digital finance."ADGM functions as a special economic zone and international financial center in the UAE capital, operating under its own legal and regulatory system. Its Financial Services Regulatory Authority acts as the primary regulator and licensing body for firms operating within the zone.Specifically, Tether said the recognition allows ADGM-licensed institutions to support regulated activities involving USDT across nearly all blockchains where the token circulates, forming a multi-chain foundation that enhances liquidity and interoperability for trading, settlement and decentralized applications. Binance's ADGM licenseTether's announcement comes as Abu Dhabi deepens its push to become a global crypto — momentum highlighted by Binance's Monday disclosure that it has secured full authorization to operate its global platform, Binance.com, under the ADGM framework.Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, said it would operate through three separately licensed entities — an exchange, a clearing house and a broker-dealer — mirroring traditional financial-market architecture and enabling regulated trading, custody, settlement and off-exchange services. "ADGM is one of the most respected financial regulators globally, and holding an FSRA license under their gold standard framework shows that Binance meets the highest international standards for compliance, governance, risk management, and consumer protection," said Binance Co-CEO Richard Teng.Pending final operational steps, Binance.com is set to begin regulated operations under the ADGM framework on Jan. 5, 2026.Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.