What is the ADGM? Abu Dhabi's financial centre, explained
ADGM — the Abu Dhabi Global Market — is the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, located on Al Maryah Island. It is a separate common-law jurisdiction with its own courts and its own financial regulator, the FSRA, which introduced one of the region's first virtual asset frameworks in 2018.
KEY FACTS
| Full name | Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) |
|---|---|
| Location | Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi |
| Established | 2013, by Federal Decree No. 15 of 2013 |
| Financial regulator | Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) |
| Virtual asset framework | In force since 2018; last amended June 2025 |
| Legal system | English common law, own courts (ADGM Courts) |
| Meridian spread (VARA, Dubai) | 0.08%–0.40% all-in, by ticket size |
Source: ADGM official portal and Meridian OTC published pricing bands, as of September 2026.
How does the ADGM work in the UAE?
The ADGM works as a financial free zone with its own rulebook, run by three authorities: the Registration Authority incorporates companies, the FSRA licenses and supervises financial firms, and ADGM Courts apply English common law directly. How this compares with Dubai's set-up is the subject of our guide to Dubai vs Abu Dhabi crypto rules.
The FSRA, ADGM's regulator, has supervised the centre since 2015. It issues a Financial Services Permission for each regulated activity — dealing, custody, operating a trading venue — and a firm may offer only what its permission names.
In 2018 the FSRA introduced a dedicated virtual asset framework, among the first in the region, and it has been amended since. It covers exchanges, custodians and brokers handling virtual assets such as USDT from inside the centre.
The perimeter is the point. An ADGM licence authorises activity in the ADGM; it does not extend to Dubai, and a Dubai licence does not extend into the ADGM.
Why does the ADGM matter when you sell USDT?
The ADGM matters because it defines who may legally handle your trade in Abu Dhabi. If your counterparty operates from Al Maryah Island, its licence comes from the FSRA rather than VARA — and that licence, not a website's claims, is what stands behind a seven-figure settlement.
For a seller in the capital the practical choice is an FSRA-licensed firm inside the ADGM or a VARA-licensed desk in Dubai. Our guide to selling USDT in Abu Dhabi walks through both routes.
The settlement rail is the same on either route: AED arrives in an account in your own name by UAEFTS the same business day. Our own licence — VARA VL/24/03/017 — is linked from the licence section of the main page and resolves in VARA's public register.
Worked example: a 400,000 USDT sale
Worked example, as of September 2026: you sell 400,000 USDT at a 0.20% spread — inside Meridian's published spread bands for that size. At the 3.6725 peg the gross amount is AED 1,469,000; the spread costs AED 2,938, and AED 1,466,062 reaches your account the same business day.
The regulator does not change the arithmetic. An FSRA-licensed broker in the ADGM and a VARA-licensed desk in Dubai both convert at the peg minus a spread; what differs is the register you check before you send anything.
ADGM vs DIFC vs VARA: who regulates what?
The ADGM's FSRA regulates financial services in Abu Dhabi's financial free zone, the DFSA does the same in Dubai's DIFC, and VARA regulates virtual assets in the rest of Dubai. A seller meets exactly one of them at a time — whichever licensed their counterparty.
| Jurisdiction | Regulator | Covers virtual assets? | Legal system |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADGM, Abu Dhabi | FSRA | Yes — framework since 2018 | English common law |
| DIFC, Dubai | DFSA | Yes — crypto token regime since 2022 | English common law |
| Dubai, outside the DIFC | VARA | Yes — dedicated regulator since 2022 | UAE civil law |
For USDT sellers the register that matters is the one behind their counterparty — FSRA in the ADGM, VARA in Dubai.
The VARA side of the picture is covered in our guide to how Dubai's VARA framework works. Onshore securities activity outside both free zones falls to the SCA, the federal securities regulator.
FAQ
Is the ADGM the same as the DIFC?
No. The ADGM is Abu Dhabi's financial free zone, regulated by the FSRA; the DIFC is Dubai's, regulated by the DFSA. Each is a separate common-law jurisdiction with its own courts, and a licence in one does not extend to the other.
Does the FSRA license crypto businesses?
Yes. Since 2018 the FSRA has licensed virtual asset activities inside the ADGM — trading venues, custodians and brokers — under its virtual asset framework. A firm needs a Financial Services Permission before it may offer those services.
Does a VARA licence cover Abu Dhabi?
No. VARA licenses virtual asset activity in Dubai outside the DIFC; in Abu Dhabi the activity falls to the FSRA inside the ADGM or to the SCA onshore. Meridian OTC operates in Dubai under VARA licence VL/24/03/017.
Can I sell USDT through an ADGM-licensed firm?
Yes, if the firm's FSRA permission covers that activity — check the FSRA public register first. The Dubai alternative is a VARA-licensed desk settling AED to your own account by UAEFTS the same business day.
Selling USDT with same-day bank settlement?
Meridian OTC is a VARA-licensed Broker-Dealer in Dubai, licence VL/24/03/017. All-in spread 0.08–0.40% by ticket size, published openly. AED reaches your own account by UAEFTS the same business day once you are approved.
SOURCES
- Abu Dhabi Global Market — official portal, accessed 11 September 2026.
- Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) — virtual asset framework and registers, accessed 11 September 2026.
- ADGM — federal legislation establishing ADGM as a financial free zone (Federal Decree No. 15 of 2013; Cabinet Resolution No. 4 of 2013), accessed 14 September 2026.
- ADGM — officially open for business (FSRA accepting licence applications from 21 October 2015), accessed 14 September 2026.
- ADGM FSRA — amendments to its digital asset regulatory framework (10 June 2025), accessed 14 September 2026.
- DFSA Rulebook — Recognised Crypto Token (regime introduced by RMI331/2022, 29 June 2022; definition deleted by RMI429/2025), accessed 14 September 2026.
- Meridian OTC published pricing bands and onboarding requirements — Meridian OTC published pricing bands, September 2026.
This guide is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice, nor an invitation to buy or sell any virtual asset. Rules and figures are as of September 2026 — re-check the sources before acting. Virtual assets may lose their value in full or in part and are subject to extreme volatility.