Which rules recognized USDT in ADGM?

TLDR

ADGM recognized Tether (USDT) under its Accepted Fiat?Referenced Token (AFRT) rules, allowing licensed firms to offer regulated trading, custody, and payments involving USDT in the jurisdiction, per an ADGM update covered by Cointelegraph.

1. This builds on prior ADGM classification of USDT as an accepted virtual asset on Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche, noted in the Cointelegraph report.
2. The AFRT recognition now spans multiple chains, including Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON, and TRON, per Coinspeaker.
3. Practical effect: ADGM?licensed entities may conduct regulated activities (trading, custody, settlement) with USDT under FSRA oversight, per the update above.

Deep Dive

1. AFRT Rule

USDT is recognized in ADGM as an Accepted Fiat?Referenced Token, a stablecoin category regulated by ADGMs FSRA that enables use by licensed institutions for regulated services.

• The AFRT status permits custody, trading, and other regulated activities with USDT within ADGMs supervised framework, per the Cointelegraph coverage.
• ADGM had already treated USDT as an accepted virtual asset across specific chains (Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche), and the AFRT designation extends that foundation, per the same report.
• Context: ADGM recently granted similar AFRT recognition to other stablecoins (for example, RLUSD), underscoring a broader stablecoin policy regime in Abu Dhabi, as noted by Yahoo Finance.

2. Networks Covered

The AFRT recognition expands USDTs regulated status across a wide set of networks, increasing technical reach for institutional settlement and custody.

1. Newly covered chains include Aptos, Celo, Cosmos, Kaia, Near, Polkadot, Tezos, TON, and TRON, per Coinspeaker.
2. This broadens earlier ADGM acceptance that already included Ethereum, Solana, and Avalanche, per the Cointelegraph report.

3. Operational Impact

AFRT recognition shifts USDT from informal use to a formally recognized, supervised instrument within ADGMs regulated perimeter.

1. Licensed ADGM entities can provide trading, custody, and settlement services in USDT under FSRA rules, per Cointelegraph.
2. This adds compliance clarity and may improve institutional confidence in using USDT for remittances, payments, and market operations in ADGM, per the same update.

Conclusion

USDTs AFRT recognition in ADGM formalizes stablecoin use under FSRA supervision and expands its regulated coverage across major networks. The key takeaway is compliance clarity: licensed institutions in ADGM can integrate USDT for trading, custody, and settlement within a defined rulebook, improving operational certainty and institutional adoption per the Cointelegraph report above.