DMCC opens record silver bar to tokenised investors

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre has formally brought the world’s largest silver bar into regulated tokenised investment, allowing eligible investors to buy fractional digital interests linked to the 1,971kg Guinness World Record asset.

The launch makes the bar the first tokenised commodity asset issued under the DMCC-Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority tokenisation framework, advancing Dubai’s push to create regulated markets for real-world assets represented digitally.

Tokinvest, a Dubai-based virtual asset platform regulated by VARA, is issuing the fractional interests as an Asset-Referenced Virtual Asset, or ARVA. The tokens are being deployed on BNB Chain, while regulated secondary-market trading is scheduled to begin after the initial issuance, subject to applicable regulatory and platform requirements.

The physical silver remains central to the structure. DMCC said the bar is registered and verified through DMCC Tradeflow, its platform for recording possession and ownership of commodities held in UAE-based facilities. Brink’s is providing secure custody and logistics, while SAM Precious Metals manufactured the underlying asset.

The 1,971kg bar, made from 99.9 per cent pure silver, was produced in the UAE and designed to commemorate 1971, the year the United Arab Emirates was founded. It was unveiled at the Dubai Precious Metals Conference in November 2025 after receiving Guinness World Records recognition as the world’s largest silver bar.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and chief executive officer of DMCC, said the organisation had intended from the outset to turn the record-setting physical asset into a practical example of commodity tokenisation. He said the project links established commodities infrastructure with digital technology while maintaining a clear connection to the underlying physical silver.

Paul Boots, senior director and head of sector development at VARA, described the Silver Bar ARVA as the first tokenised commodity asset issued under the joint framework. He said the structure combined commodities infrastructure, regulated virtual-asset issuance, institutional custody and blockchain technology in an investable product.

Tokinvest co-founder and chief executive Scott Thiel said fractionalisation would allow investors to obtain an interest in an asset that would otherwise be inaccessible to most individual buyers. Eligible investors, including retail investors who meet the platform and regulatory requirements, have been able to access the issuance from September 7.

The arrangement is intended to address one of the central issues in tokenised commodities: ensuring that a digital interest remains demonstrably linked to a specific, verifiable physical asset. In this case, the bar’s registration through Tradeflow, its secure custody and the regulated issuance process provide separate layers connecting the blockchain-based interests to the silver.

Sami Abu Ahmad, principal chief executive of SAM Precious Metals, said the bar was created to reflect the UAE precious-metals industry and the significance of the country’s founding year. He said tokenisation introduced a new method of participating in ownership of the physical asset.

Nader Antar, executive vice-president and president of Brink’s Rest of World and Brink’s Global Services, said custody and logistics remained essential to confidence in assets represented digitally. Brink’s is responsible for the secure physical foundation supporting the tokenised structure.

The launch follows work announced by DMCC and VARA to develop a clearer framework for tokenised commodities and other real-world assets. DMCC has also been developing FinX, an initiative focused on digital trade, tokenised assets and next-generation trade finance, alongside its existing commodities and technology ecosystems.

DMCC says more than 1,500 companies operate across its gold and precious-metals ecosystem, covering trading, storage, finance and commodity-ownership registration. Its technology ecosystem comprises more than 4,000 companies, including over 750 members of the DMCC Crypto Centre.

VARA’s issuance rules require ARVA issuers to specify the rights or value granted to holders and explain how the token derives and maintains its value. Issuers must also identify the type and composition of the real-world reference asset underpinning the virtual asset for regulatory review.