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Tether Gold has been recognized as an Accepted Spot Commodity within Abu Dhabi Global Market, creating a route for authorized firms in the financial center to seek approval for XAU₮ services.
The recognition places XAU₮ under ADGM’s spot commodities framework. It does not give companies automatic permission to trade or custody the asset, because each firm must hold the relevant permissions and approval to use Accepted Spot Commodities.
ADGM Firms Need Separate Approval to Offer XAU₮ Services
Tether announced the recognition on July 20 following engagement with Abu Dhabi Global Market. ADGM Chief Market Development Officer Arvind Ramamurthy said the decision expands the products available to firms operating from the financial center.
ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority requires companies conducting regulated digital asset activities to obtain Financial Services Permission.
Its framework covers market operators, brokers, custodians, asset managers and other intermediaries, with requirements involving surveillance, settlement, transaction monitoring and investor protection.
Recognition Does Not Grant Blanket Trading Permission
The designation creates a regulated route for eligible firms to support XAU₮. It is not a blanket authorization for Tether or an approval covering services outside ADGM.
Authorized providers must ensure their permissions cover the proposed activity and obtain approval to use XAU₮ as an Accepted Spot Commodity before offering related services.
Each XAU₮ Token Represents One Troy Ounce of Gold
Tether Gold is issued by TG Commodities. Each full token represents one fine troy ounce of physical gold allocated from a London Good Delivery bar.
Tether says the allocated bullion is identifiable by serial number, purity and weight and can be redeemed as physical gold under the product’s terms.
Its first-quarter report listed 707,747.139 fine troy ounces held in Switzerland against 707,747.09 tokens in circulation as of March 31.
XAU₮ Reserves Exceeded $3.3B in the First Quarter
The reported reserve value exceeded $3.3 billion at the end of the first quarter, up from about $2.25 billion at the end of 2025. The issuer said token holders, rather than TG Commodities, own the underlying gold.
Those reserve figures give ADGM firms and clients a clearer basis for assessing the gold-backed token if they seek approval to offer related services.
XAU₮ Follows USD₮ Into ADGM’s Regulatory Framework
The decision follows the FSRA’s earlier recognition of Tether’s USD₮ as an Accepted Fiat-Referenced Token. XAU₮ enters a different regulatory category because it tracks physical gold rather than a fiat currency.
ADGM has not named firms that will immediately launch XAU₮ trading, custody or related services. The next step depends on ADGM-authorized providers applying to add XAU₮ to their permitted offerings.
