Latest ADI (ADI) News Update

By CMC AI
31 January 2026 01:18AM (UTC+0)

What is the latest news on ADI?

TLDR

ADI rides high on African mobile money deals and UAE stablecoin momentum. Here’s the latest:

  1. M-Pesa Blockchain Integration (23 January 2026) – ADI partners with Africa’s top mobile money platform to deploy blockchain for 60M+ users.

  2. UAE Dirham Stablecoin Launch (14 January 2026) – Regulated stablecoin on ADI Chain targets AI-driven payments and cross-border commerce.

  3. 24% Surge vs. Bitcoin (30 January 2026) – ADI gains 24.22% in 24h amid bullish technicals and institutional accumulation signals.

Deep Dive

1. M-Pesa Blockchain Integration (23 January 2026)

Overview:
ADI Foundation partnered with M-Pesa Africa to integrate its blockchain into the mobile money platform across eight African countries, including Kenya and Ethiopia. The deal targets stablecoin adoption for cross-border remittances and SME payments, leveraging M-Pesa’s $292B annual transaction volume. ADI Chain’s dirham-backed stablecoin will facilitate Abu Dhabi-Africa trade settlements starting Q1 2026.

What this means:
This is bullish for ADI as it anchors real-world utility in high-growth markets. M-Pesa’s dominance in African mobile finance (90% household penetration in Kenya) could drive network effects, boosting demand for ADI’s gas token and stablecoin infrastructure. (CoinGeek)

2. UAE Dirham Stablecoin Launch (14 January 2026)

Overview:
The UAE Central Bank greenlit a dirham-pegged stablecoin issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC on ADI Chain. Designed for “agentic payments” (AI-driven transactions), it aligns with the UAE’s strategy to lead in AI-blockchain convergence. Early adopters include ADNOC gas stations and Mastercard’s Agent Pay system.

What this means:
This positions ADI as MENA’s institutional blockchain standard. The stablecoin’s regulatory backing and AI integration could accelerate adoption in the $4T Islamic finance sector while stabilizing transactional demand for ADI tokens. (Crypto.news)

3. 24% Surge vs. Bitcoin (30 January 2026)

Overview:
ADI rallied 24.22% against Bitcoin on 30 January, outpacing 99% of top 500 cryptos. Social media chatter highlighted its 111% turnover ratio (24h volume vs. market cap), signaling intense trading activity. The token’s 150% 90-day return contrasts with Bitcoin’s 59% dominance in a “fear”-driven market.

What this means:
While technicals suggest bullish momentum, ADI’s low circulating supply (5.1% of total) risks volatility. Investors are pricing in its institutional partnerships, but sustainability hinges on real adoption metrics like stablecoin usage and M-Pesa integration progress. (ZoneCrypto)

Conclusion

ADI’s dual focus on African financial inclusion and UAE-regulated infrastructure positions it uniquely for 2026’s institutional crypto wave. With M-Pesa’s user base and Abu Dhabi’s regulatory muscle, the token bridges emerging markets and compliance-first blockchain adoption. Will surging volumes translate into lasting utility beyond speculative trading?

What is the latest update in ADI’s codebase?

TLDR

ADI Chain’s codebase focuses on institutional-grade infrastructure with recent gas token upgrades.

  1. Custom Gas Token via zkStack (10 Dec 2025) – Enabled native $ADI gas payments, replacing ETH dependency.

  2. Airbender ZK-Proof Integration (2025) – Enhanced scalability and compliance for L3 sovereign chains.

  3. EVM-Compatible L2 Architecture (2025) – Built on ZKsync Atlas for enterprise-ready smart contracts.

Deep Dive

1. Custom Gas Token via zkStack (10 Dec 2025)

Overview: ADI Chain transitioned to using $ADI as its native gas token, eliminating reliance on Ethereum (ETH) for transaction fees. This update leverages zkStack’s infrastructure to embed compliance directly into the network’s economic layer.

The upgrade allows institutions to interact with ADI Chain and its L3 networks without managing multiple tokens. Gas fees for smart contracts, dApps, and cross-chain settlements now default to $ADI, streamlining operations for regulated entities.

What this means: This is bullish for ADI because it simplifies institutional adoption by reducing operational complexity. Projects building on ADI Chain can now design compliance-focused applications without ETH-related friction.
(Source)

2. Airbender ZK-Proof Integration (2025)

Overview: ADI Chain uses Airbender zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to enable high-throughput transactions (8,000+ TPS) while maintaining Ethereum-level security.

This architecture supports modular L3 chains, where jurisdictions can deploy custom compliance rules (e.g., KYC/AML) without fragmenting liquidity. Each L3 chain settles transactions through ADI Chain’s L2, anchored by ZK-proofs.

What this means: This is neutral for ADI in the short term, as adoption depends on institutional rollout. However, long-term scalability and jurisdiction-specific compliance could drive real-world utility for government and enterprise use cases.
(Source)

3. EVM-Compatible L2 Architecture (2025)

Overview: Built on ZKsync’s Atlas stack, ADI Chain offers full Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) compatibility, allowing developers to port Solidity-based dApps with minimal changes.

The codebase includes pre-audited compliance modules for identity verification and asset tokenization, targeting use cases like cross-border payments and digital registries.

What this means: This is bullish for ADI because it lowers the barrier for developers to build compliant financial infrastructure, aligning with partnerships like Mastercard and BlackRock.
(Source)

Conclusion

ADI’s codebase prioritizes institutional adoption through ETH-compatible scalability, regulatory flexibility, and a self-contained gas economy. Recent updates position $ADI as the backbone for sovereign digital infrastructure, but success hinges on real-world deployment. How quickly will L3 chains like the UAE’s dirham stablecoin leverage these upgrades?

What are people saying about ADI?

TLDR

ADI rides a wave of institutional validation and real-world utility whispers. Here’s what’s trending:

  1. BlackRock/Mastercard deals signal MENA’s crypto infrastructure play

  2. Telegram Wallet integration targets emerging market accessibility

  3. +24% vs. BTC sparks trader speculation amid thin float

Deep Dive

1. @YDDDDIu: Institutional MoUs anchor compliance narrative bullish

"BlackRock exploring tokenized assets, Mastercard advancing MENA payments – ADI’s post-mainnet deal velocity shows institutions vetting its compliance stack."
– @YDDDDIu (3K followers · 12.1K impressions · 2025-12-18 19:57 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is bullish for ADI because Tier 1 financial partnerships validate its positioning as a regulated Layer 2 for enterprises, potentially locking in long-term gas fee demand from institutional transactions.

2. @fizok_eng: Telegram Wallet adoption bullish

"ADI now in Telegram Wallet – 800M users can store/send without new apps. Emerging markets’ onramp via chat app they already use."
– @fizok_eng (1.3K followers · 8.7K impressions · 2025-12-11 06:09 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is bullish because Telegram’s dominance in markets like MENA and Africa could drive organic ADI adoption through frictionless access, though actual usage metrics post-integration need monitoring.

3. @ZoneCrypto: Outperforming Bitcoin mixed

"ADI +24.22% vs BTC (24h) – but with $6.9M volume vs $124M market cap, watch for volatility as only 5% of max supply circulates."
– @ZoneCrypto (1.6K followers · 3.2K impressions · 2026-01-30 17:51 UTC)
View original post
What this means: This is mixed – while outperformance attracts momentum traders, the 0.056 turnover ratio (CoinMarketCap) suggests liquidity risks if sell pressure emerges given the low circulating supply.

Conclusion

The consensus on ADI is bullish-leaning, driven by institutional partnerships and infrastructure plays, though traders note liquidity caveats. Watch for progress on the UAE Dirham stablecoin rollout (Q1 2026 target per M-Pesa deal) – successful implementation could cement ADI’s utility beyond speculative trading.

What is next on ADI’s roadmap?

TLDR

ADI's development continues with these upcoming milestones:

  1. UAE Dirham Stablecoin Launch (Early 2026) – A regulated stablecoin issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC on ADI Chain.

  2. M-Pesa Integration for Cross-Border Payments (Early 2026) – Deploying ADI Chain rails across eight African countries via M-Pesa.

  3. Institutional Integrations with BlackRock & Mastercard (Ongoing) – Exploring tokenized assets and blockchain-based payment rails.

Deep Dive

1. UAE Dirham Stablecoin Launch (Early 2026)

Overview: A core component of ADI Chain's infrastructure is a UAE Dirham-pegged stablecoin, regulated by the UAE Central Bank and issued by First Abu Dhabi Bank and IHC (Decrypt). This stablecoin is designed to facilitate compliant cross-border transactions and serve as a settlement layer for enterprises, anchoring transactional demand directly onto the ADI network.

What this means: This is bullish for ADI because it creates a fundamental utility for the $ADI token as the required gas for all stablecoin transactions. It directly ties network growth and fee generation to real-world financial activity, moving beyond speculative demand.

2. M-Pesa Integration for Cross-Border Payments (Early 2026)

Overview: Following a memorandum of understanding signed in January 2026, ADI Foundation will integrate its blockchain infrastructure with M-Pesa Africa, a mobile money platform serving over 60 million users (Decrypt). The goal is to enable stablecoin-based cross-border payments across eight African nations, leveraging ADI Chain for settlement.

What this means: This is extremely bullish for ADI as it represents a direct path to mass adoption. Successfully onboarding even a fraction of M-Pesa's user base would drive immense network activity and demand for $ADI tokens for gas fees, fundamentally re-rating the token's utility and value based on real-world usage.

3. Institutional Integrations with BlackRock & Mastercard (Ongoing)

Overview: Shortly after its mainnet launch, ADI secured memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with financial giants BlackRock, Mastercard, and Franklin Templeton (CoinMarketCap). BlackRock will explore tokenized asset structures, while Mastercard aims to advance blockchain-based payments and asset tokenization across the Middle East using ADI Chain.

What this means: This is bullish for ADI as these partnerships validate its institutional-grade, compliance-first architecture. While timelines for concrete products are uncertain, these collaborations de-risk the project's long-term vision and could lead to significant, high-value transactions settling on the network, increasing $ADI utility.

Conclusion

ADI's roadmap is strategically focused on launching regulated financial primitives (the Dirham stablecoin) and deploying them through massive existing networks like M-Pesa, all while building institutional credibility. The key driver for $ADI will be the translation of these partnerships into on-chain transaction volume. How quickly will the M-Pesa integration translate its 60-million-user potential into sustained gas fee demand for $ADI?

CMC AI can make mistakes. Not financial advice.