Dubai is solidifying its position in digital finance with the launch of a new tokenized real estate product by Tokinvest, a real-world asset platform regulated by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). The move highlights the emirate’s growing infrastructure for bringing global real-world assets onto the blockchain.
Quick Facts
- Platform: Dubai’s VARA-regulated Tokinvest.
- Asset: Tokenized UK build-to-rent property.
- Value: Approximately AED 40 million.
A Regulated Bridge for Global Assets
The new product references a multi-tenant, build-to-rent property in the UK valued at around AED 40 million. This transaction demonstrates a practical application of Dubai’s regulatory framework to connect international institutional-grade real estate with a modern, on-chain financial system.
The property, the Great Hampton Street Button Works, was originally a button factory built in 1872 in Birmingham. It has since been restored and converted into 29 residential apartments, preserving its Grade II listed heritage. The project brings a historic UK asset into a regulated, digital issuance framework operating out of Dubai.
VARA’s Framework as a Global Launchpad
The launch underscores the critical role of Dubai’s regulatory environment in attracting digital asset firms. Scott Thiel, CEO and Co-Founder of Tokinvest, stated that the clarity provided by VARA is creating the foundation for a new era of capital formation.
“Dubai has created the regulatory foundations for a new era of capital formation,” Thiel said. “What VARA and the UAE have built is not just a framework for digital assets, but the beginnings of a global hub for on-chain finance backed by real-world assets.”
He added, “It is exactly why I moved to Dubai and why we established Tokinvest as a regulated issuer and broker in the UAE. We believed the future of capital formation would be built in a jurisdiction willing to combine ambition, regulatory credibility, and global relevance, and Dubai has delivered on that vision.”
A New Model for Real Estate Capital
The tokenization of the UK property is being positioned as a new model for making real estate more accessible to international investors. John Heath, Director of Great Hampton Street Button Works, noted the project’s significance in merging traditional asset value with modern financial infrastructure.
“This project brings together the enduring value of a historic UK property asset with the forward-looking financial infrastructure now emerging from Dubai,” said Heath. “It is a powerful example of how real estate can be made more globally accessible through tokenization, while still being anchored in a credible, regulated environment.”
This initiative is part of Tokinvest’s broader strategy to use its Dubai base to originate and distribute tokenized real-world assets, including property, private credit, and other alternative investments.
About Tokinvest
Tokinvest is a regulated, pioneering platform that connects real-world asset issuers with investors globally. Headquartered in Dubai, Tokinvest holds a Cat1 ARVA Issuance and Broker Dealer licence from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling it to issue, broker, and manage tokenised real-world assets across property, private credit, and alternative investments.
Source: Zawya
