ADI Chain, Shipfinex launch vessel-backed tokenization initiative

ADI Chain and Shipfinex have partnered to develop what they say will be the first regulated, institutional-grade tokenized maritime asset class, creating a digital route for investing in vessel-backed finance, charter-linked income and economic interests in ships.

Under the exclusive partnership, Shipfinex will originate, structure and issue eligible maritime assets, while ADI Chain will provide the blockchain, distribution and settlement infrastructure. The resulting Maritime Asset Tokens will be available exclusively on ADI Chain through a regulated issuance route.

The partnership is targeting a sizable but traditionally difficult-to-access market. Maritime transport carries more than 80% of international trade in goods by volume, yet investment in the vessels underpinning global trade remains largely concentrated among shipowners, banks and specialist financial institutions.

The global commercial fleet was valued at approximately $2.17 trillion at the end of 2025, while global ship finance, spanning bank lending, leasing, export credit and alternative financing, stood at around $680 billion.

Ownership of vessels, however, remains fragmented among thousands of mostly small and mid-sized operators, many of which have limited access to new sources of capital. The companies say tokenization could help connect these assets with new pools of institutional investment.

Shipfinex has an initial pipeline of about 35 vessels valued at approximately $500 million. Its Maritime Asset Token structure has already been developed, and the project is now moving through the pilot and operational-readiness stages.

Each eligible vessel will be held in a separate special-purpose vehicle, allowing its value, liabilities, income and investor rights to be assessed independently. Depending on the final structure, tokens could represent vessel-backed credit, charter-linked income, or other economic interests.

“Maritime finance has the scale, real assets and commercial activity to become a major new real-world asset category,” said Ramana Kumar, President of Stablecoin Ecosystem at ADI Foundation.

He added that the partnership aims to provide infrastructure that connects individual vessels and their economic value to regulated issuance and digital settlement through the UAE.

Tokenization will not replace the existing legal and operational structures governing commercial vessels, including ownership, insurance and flagging. Instead, each token will digitally represent economic rights connected to an identifiable vessel, its financial profile and legal structure.

On-chain records could also provide a verifiable record of issuance, ownership and distributions while maintaining the compliance and eligibility requirements associated with each investment instrument.

“Ships keep global trade moving, but access to maritime investment remains narrow and fragmented,” said Capt. Vikas Pandey, Founder and CEO of Shipfinex. “Combining our maritime origination and asset structuring with ADI Chain’s infrastructure will allow us to create a regulated digital route into this market.”

Shipfinex currently holds In-Principle Approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority for broker-dealer services and is working toward an operational launch. No Maritime Asset Tokens have yet been issued publicly.

The first phase of the partnership will focus on finalizing the regulated issuance route, determining the initial product structure, and preparing vessels from Shipfinex’s pipeline for tokenization.