Bitcoin: Dubai royal-backed Standard Asset Company plans $1.5B Bitcoin and UAE property strategy

29 Oct 2026

TL;DR

Standard Asset Company, an Abu Dhabi firm whose advisers and shareholders include a member of Dubai's royal family, has opened its ADGM headquarters to run an anticipated $1.5 billion strategy pairing a Bitcoin reserve with UAE real estate. Coinbase Asset Management will manage the Bitcoin side, but the firm has not disclosed how much BTC it holds or plans to buy.

Bitcoin TradeReviewed News Desk

Standard Asset Company (SAC), legally named Standard Proprietary Company Ltd., has opened its headquarters in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) to lead an anticipated $1.5 billion strategy that combines a long-term Bitcoin reserve with income-producing UAE real estate, according to the company’s announcement published in Gulf News. The news was flagged on Telegram by Watcher.Guru on Thursday.

Who is behind it

SAC was founded by Sakhib Waseem, Adam Ali and Mason Borda. Its listed advisers and shareholders include Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, a member of the Dubai royal family; Mick Mulvaney, former White House chief of staff; Brett Tejpaul, co-CEO of Coinbase Institutional; and Lord Iain McNicol, a member of the UK House of Lords.

Coinbase Asset Management, led by president Anthony Bassili, has been engaged as the exclusive asset manager for SAC’s Bitcoin holdings. In the announcement, Sheikh Mohammed said the strategy developed with Coinbase brings “institutional expertise and discipline” to the firm’s digital asset holdings, with the goal of investing returns into hospitality and real estate in the Emirates.

How the strategy is meant to work

The firm describes two assets with different roles. UAE hotels and branded residences are the income side, while Bitcoin is framed as a long-term reserve rather than a trading book. SAC’s website describes a phased Bitcoin acquisition and a managed yield strategy, and a “generate, retain, redeploy” model that moves capital between property, the Bitcoin reserve and corporate liquidity. The company says it invests with its own funds and is not a licensed financial services provider.

What has not been disclosed

As Crypto Briefing and Bitcoin Treasuries point out, SAC has not said how much Bitcoin it holds or intends to buy, or how the $1.5 billion will be split between BTC and real estate. The figure describes an anticipated strategy, not confirmed assets under management, so it should not be read as $1.5 billion of fresh Bitcoin demand.

What it means for traders

The deal adds to a steady stream of Gulf-based institutions building Bitcoin exposure, and Coinbase’s role gives it more weight than a typical treasury announcement. For price impact, the key data point is still missing: the actual size and pace of BTC purchases. Watch for wallet disclosures or filings before treating it as a market driver. If you are choosing where to trade BTC yourself, our exchange comparison ranks BingX first and OKX second on fees and features, and our testing method explains why.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice.

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