Liv, the digital banking platform operated by UAE banking group Emirates NBD, one of the country's largest banks, is adding USDU, a stablecoin backed by the US dollar, to its banking ecosystem through a partnership with Universal Digital Intl Ltd, the token's issuer, and Aquanow ME FZE, a digital asset infrastructure provider.

Once integrated, USDU will be available to Liv customers directly inside the bank's existing mobile application, letting them handle conventional banking services and digital asset holdings on a single platform. The division of roles is clear: Universal issues the stablecoin, Aquanow supplies the infrastructure for distribution and liquidity, and Liv operates as the customer-facing banking channel.

The step takes Liv's digital asset offering beyond cryptocurrency trading by placing a regulated, dollar-denominated stablecoin inside its banking application.

USDU is issued by Universal and registered with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) under its Payment Token Services Regulation (PTSR). Aquanow, which operates as a broker-dealer licensed by Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), provides the distribution infrastructure and liquidity the service requires.

Integration Builds on Liv's Cryptocurrency Trading Services

USDU's arrival follows Liv's move into digital assets via cryptocurrency trading, launched in 2025 under its Liv X service, with Aquanow again acting as the infrastructure partner for that offering. Through the new integration, Liv is broadening its digital asset capabilities from crypto trading, where asset values move with market prices, into a token built to hold a steady value against the US dollar, giving customers a dollar-backed digital asset in an app they already rely on for day-to-day finances.

Aquanow will supply the digital asset infrastructure and liquidity arrangements behind both USDU distribution and cryptocurrency trading on Liv X. Rather than running on separate technology systems, the two services operate over one shared infrastructure framework, a unified setup intended to streamline digital asset operations and deliver a consistent customer experience across the bank's existing and newly introduced services.

Rohit Garg, Emirates NBD Group Head of Retail Products and Chief Digital Officer of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, said the integration offers customers a regulated and transparent route into digital assets through their everyday banking application. He also framed the development as an extension of the cryptocurrency trading initiative the bank launched in 2025.

USDU Reserve Structure and Regulatory Compliance

USDU is designed to maintain a one-to-one relationship with the US dollar, with its backing provided through physical dollar reserves held at banks in the UAE. Universal publishes monthly reserve attestations to give the public transparency into the token's backing. Publishing attestations on a recurring schedule is a common practice among stablecoin issuers, allowing users to track a token's backing over time rather than relying on one-off disclosures. Its registration under the CBUAE's PTSR framework places the stablecoin within the UAE central bank's regulatory structure for payment token services.

Phil Sham, Chief Executive Officer of Aquanow, explained that operating stablecoin distribution and cryptocurrency trading over a single infrastructure system brings together a centrally registered stablecoin issuer, a VARA-licensed broker-dealer, and a digital bank. The arrangement is intended to connect the different stages of digital asset services through regulated infrastructure.

Universal Senior Executive Officer Juha Viitala said USDU was developed to facilitate transparent, US dollar-backed settlement within the UAE's regulatory environment. He also noted that Liv customers would be able to access and trade the stablecoin in the same application they use for their regular banking requirements.

UAE Digital Banking Moves Toward Integrated Financial Services

The partnership reflects a growing convergence of conventional banking and digital financial services in the UAE. By embedding a registered stablecoin in a bank-owned digital platform, the participating companies are working to make regulated digital assets more accessible to mainstream banking customers.

The arrangement combines CBUAE-registered stablecoin issuance, VARA-licensed digital asset infrastructure, and Emirates NBD's banking distribution network within one connected service framework. It also illustrates how financial institutions can incorporate blockchain-based assets without requiring customers to depend on separate cryptocurrency platforms for access.

As regulated digital asset services expand across the UAE, the integration could provide a model for connecting stablecoin payments, cryptocurrency trading, and traditional banking through a unified digital banking environment.