TL;DR
- XAUT, Tether’s gold token, was recognized as an accepted spot commodity within Abu Dhabi’s ADGM financial center.
- Companies registered in ADGM will be able to offer services linked to XAUT, subject to their own corresponding regulatory authorizations.
- The tokenized real-world asset market exceeds $31 billion, compared to approximately $6.6 billion recorded a year ago.
Tether announced that XAUT, its token backed by physical gold, was recognized as an accepted spot commodity within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Abu Dhabi’s international financial center. This recognition allows firms based in ADGM to offer services linked to XAUT, provided they hold the relevant regulatory authorizations to operate with spot commodities.
This outcome resulted from a process of engagement between Tether and ADGM authorities, aimed at demonstrating the company’s operational soundness, transparency and compliance approach. Each XAUT token represents one fine troy ounce of gold held in a London Good Delivery bar. This mechanism allows users and institutions to access the value of gold with the speed, portability and traceability inherent to blockchain technology.
Tether’s XAU₮ Recognized as Accepted Spot Commodity in ADGM
Learn more: https://t.co/n6ZHWo7Hrf— Tether (@tether) July 20, 2026
XAUT Drives the Expansion of Tokenized Assets in the Middle East
Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether, highlighted that the recognition from ADGM “creates new space for firms with the relevant regulatory authorizations to work with a physical gold-backed token,” and described it as “an important step for tokenized real-world assets and for the growth of regulated digital finance in the Middle East.” For his part, Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief Market Development Officer of ADGM, noted that the recognition will help broaden the range of products available to firms operating from the financial hub and strengthens Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem.
The recognition of XAUT follows that of USDT, previously recognized by ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority as an accepted fiat reference token. Both decisions reveal a clear pattern: the Emirati regulator is advancing the integration of Tether products within a structured regulatory framework, progressively expanding the range of digital assets authorized to operate in the jurisdiction.
Tokenized real-world assets currently exceed $31 billion in distributed value, a notable increase from the $6.6 billion recorded approximately one year ago. Tether indicated that it will continue working with regulators, firms and partners in the United Arab Emirates and the region to sustain the responsible adoption of crypto assets.