Universal USD (USDU) is a fiat-referenced token pegged 1:1 to the US Dollar. It is issued by Universal Digital Intl Limited, a financial entity based in Abu Dhabi Global Market. USDU is designed to provide a compliant, institutional-grade USD-denominated settlement layer for digital assets and virtual asset derivatives within regulated financial frameworks.
USDU is aligned with the UAE’s broader ambition to become a leading global hub for digital assets, financial innovation, and regulated digital asset infrastructure. By operating within the ADGM/FSRA, and Central Bank of the UAE regulatory frameworks, USDU supports the development of onshore stablecoin settlement infrastructure for institutional virtual asset activity, treasury movement, and tokenized financial markets.
Key features and mechanics
1:1 asset backing: Each USDU token is backed 1:1 by liquid US dollar reserves. These assets are held in safeguarded accounts with regulated commercial banks, including Emirates NBD and Mashreq.
Regulatory compliance: The issuing entity is regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority in ADGM and registered with the Central Bank of the UAE as a Foreign Payment Token Issuer under the Payment Token Services Regulation.
Auditing and transparency: USDU undergoes monthly independent reserve attestations conducted by an international accounting firm, alongside third-party smart contract audits.
Target audience and use cases: USDU is structured primarily for professional clients and institutional market participants. Its primary use cases include digital asset trading settlement, corporate treasury management, cross-venue liquidity movement, virtual asset infrastructure, and tokenized asset settlement.
