DMCC and Crypto.com Join Forces to Push Tokenised Commodities Trading in Dubai

Dubai’s DMCC has teamed up with Crypto.com in a move that could nudge the commodities world a step closer to proper on‑chain trading. The two sides have signed an MoU to look at how tokenising everything from precious metals and diamonds to energy and agricultural products might actually function at scale — not just in theory, but across real global markets that still rely on, well… pretty old‑school settlement systems.

What caught my eye is the ambition behind it. DMCC says it wants to cut friction in settlement, boost transparency and open more doors for investors who usually sit on the sidelines of commodities trading. I’ve heard founders across the MENA region grumble about how commodities finance can be a bit of a faff, so seeing a heavyweight like DMCC push the agenda feels spot on.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DMCC’s Executive Chairman and CEO, pointed out that tokenisation could modernise how commodities are financed and traded. He described moving real assets on‑chain as a practical next step toward a more efficient market, adding that the partnership will look at secure issuance, custody models and even new liquidity structures. From where I stand, I reckon Dubai positioning itself early in this wave isn’t surprising — entrepreneurs I’ve met through Arageek events often say the city thrives on getting ahead of global shifts.

Crypto.com, for its part, seems just as bullish. Eric Anziani, the company’s President and COO, called tokenised real‑world assets one of the most important advancements in the digital economy. Mohammed Al Hakim, who heads the MEA region, went further, saying it’s an honour to help Dubai integrate blockchain with traditional financial rails. And believe it or not, the partnership even includes educational programmes with the DMCC Crypto Centre — workshops, hackathons, capability-building. These things sometimes sound fluffy, but I’ve seen small teams gain serious confidence from similar sessions.

The deal also builds on DMCC’s earlier collaboration with Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, another sign that the city is tightening its framework for tokenised assets rather than rushing ahead without guardrails. On the flip side, none of this guarantees smooth sailing; tokenised commodities still face regulatory, technical and liquidity hurdles, and listing anything on an exchange like Crypto.com requires approvals that can be… lets just say demanding.

Still, with more than 26,000 companies in DMCC — from energy traders to tech startups — the groundwork is there. And Dubai’s growing Web3 ecosystem means cross‑sector experimentation isn’t just possible, it’s increasingly expected. If this partnership lives up to even half its promise, it could shift how the region thinks about moving physical value in digital form, which is something many entrepreneurs here are quietly chuffed to bits about.

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