Dubai Land Department Opens Phase Two of Real Estate Tokenization with Secondary Trading

Highlights:

• Dubai now lets investors resell fractional property tokens in a regulated secondary market.
• All trades run on the XRP Ledger and remain secured by Ripple Custody.
• Real estate tokenization continues to grow across the UAE under clear rules.

Dubai has launched Phase Two of its property token initiative. The new phase allows investors to resell fractional ownership in tokenized real estate. As a result, participants can transfer stakes without waiting for a full asset sale. Officials moved the project from limited testing into live secondary activity.

During Phase One, authorities tokenized ten properties worth more than $5 million. They issued about 7.8 million digital tokens linked to those assets. Those tokens now qualify for resale within a regulated structure. Trading will take place on the project’s approved distribution platform. In addition, each transaction remains aligned with Dubai’s official land registry records.

The minimum investment is 2,000 dirhams, which reduces the entry barrier to small investors. Nonetheless, participation is at present restricted to the holders of the Emirates ID. Officials embraced this structure to observe system performance under controlled conditions. Meanwhile, the design also supports long-standing liquidity constraints in property markets. Regulators predict that token assets may be worth up to $16 billion by 2033.

The Virtual Assets Regulating Authority oversees the trading system. Each transfer process contains governance standards and investor safeguards. The Dubai Land Department confirmed that this step assesses market efficiency and operational preparedness.

XRP Ledger Infrastructure and Regulated Digital Asset Oversight

All token transfers are recorded on the XRP Ledger. Developers selected the network because it processes transactions quickly and at a lower cost. Furthermore, Ripple Custody will secure the digital property tokens during settlement and storage. The system, therefore, maintains oversight across the movement and safekeeping of assets.

Ctrl Alt serves as the real estate tokenization infrastructure partner for the initiative. The firm minted the original ownership tokens during Phase One. It now enables secondary transfers under the updated structure. In addition, Ctrl Alt holds a Virtual Asset Service Provider license from VARA. The company also holds Issuer and Broker-Dealer licenses that support regulated token issuance and trading.

For Phase Two, Ctrl Alt will issue Asset-Referenced Virtual Asset management tokens. These tokens operate alongside ownership tokens during secondary transactions. Both token types record onchain and create a unified ownership record. Moreover, the blockchain record integrates directly with Dubai’s official real estate registry.

PRYPCO Mint and Ctrl Alt platforms manage issuance and trading activity. Both entities operate under VARA supervision. The system handles technical processes behind the scenes so distribution platforms can offer fractional property access. Matt Acheson, Chief Product Officer at Ctrl Alt, explained the design approach.

Acheson said:

Real Estate Tokenization And Global Project Funding Trends

The rollout of the real estate tokenization coincides with additional regulated digital asset developments in the UAE. The financial regulator recently approved the QCD Money Market Fund. Qatar National Bank partnered with DMZ Finance to launch the fund. The vehicle operates from the Dubai International Financial Centre under local financial regulations. In addition, the UAE approved the issue of a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin under the Payment Token Services Regulation.

Outside the UAE, DarGlobal and World Liberty Financial announced plans to tokenize a Trump-branded resort development in the Maldives. The companies will carry out the project with financial technology firm Securitize. World Liberty presented the plan during a crypto-focused event at Mar-a-Lago attended by senior finance and digital asset executives.