ADI Chain adopts ZKsync’s Airbender zkVM to power the UAE’s dirham-backed stablecoin and enterprise-grade digital infrastructure.
The ADI Foundation announced that ADI Chain has become the first public blockchain to integrate ZKsync’s Airbender technology.
Airbender, launched in June 2025, is an open-source RISC-V zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) and proving system developed by ZKsync. The integration marks a significant milestone ahead of ADI Chain’s scheduled mainnet launch in Q4 2025.
Backed by Sirius International Holding, the digital arm of IHC, the UAE’s largest publicly traded company with a market capitalisation of approximately $240 billion, ADI Chain is designed to enable institutions and governments in emerging markets to build enterprise-grade digital infrastructure.
Use cases include stablecoins, cross-border payments, decentralised finance, tokenised real-world assets, digital identity, electronic health records, and land registries.
“Over the past decade, the benefits of blockchain technology have been concentrated in relatively few parts of the world, and ADI intends to change that dynamic,” said Andrey Lazorenko, CEO of ADI Foundation. “We believe zero-knowledge proofs are the future of Ethereum and are honoured that the leading ZK technology provider chose ADI Chain as the debut project for the Airbender platform.”
ADI Chain is set to serve as the infrastructure for the dirham-backed stablecoin being developed by leading UAE institutions FAB, ADQ, and IHC, which will be regulated by the UAE Central Bank.
Organisations within IHC’s network will adopt ADI Chain for operations, bringing millions of users and transactions onto the blockchain. The network already has a pipeline of around 50 projects across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
“Most blockchains are not equipped to meet the varying compliance standards required by global institutions and governments. As a result, those organisations rely on antiquated systems long past their expiration dates,” said Alex Gluchowski, Co-Founder of Matter Labs, parent company of ZKsync.
“ADI has the scale to reach these stakeholders and upgrade their legacy systems in a manner that should be transformative for their private and public sectors.”
By combining Airbender’s cryptographic efficiency with ADI Chain’s institutional focus, the partnership positions the network as a foundation for trusted, large-scale adoption of blockchain in global financial and public-sector applications.
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