Commodities exchange and free-trade zone Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) has announced the formal launch of the world’s largest silver bar as the first tokenised commodity asset under the DMCC-Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) tokenisation framework.

Eligible investors are now able to acquire fractional digital interests linked to the 1 971 kg Guinness World Record-asset.

Dubai-based virtual asset platform Tokinvest, which is regulated by the VARA, will issue the fractional interests as an asset-referenced virtual asset (ARVA), with the tokens deployed on BNB Chain.

Regulated secondary-market trading is scheduled to open following the initial issuance, subject to applicable regulatory and platform requirements.

The launch follows an announcement at DMCC’s Dubai Precious Metals Conference, in November 2025, where the 1 971 kg bar was unveiled after receiving official recognition from Guinness World Records.

Manufactured in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by SAM Precious Metals from 99.9% pure silver, the bar was created to commemorate 1971, the founding year of the UAE.

The physical bar is registered and verified through DMCC Tradeflow, DMCC’s platform for registering possession and ownership of commodities stored in UAE-based facilities, and held by Brink’s.

Tokinvest is responsible for the regulated issuance and distribution of the digital interests and subsequent secondary-market trading, while SAM Precious Metals manufactured the underlying physical asset.

“When we unveiled this 1 971 kg Guinness World Record silver bar at the Dubai Precious Metals Conference last November, we set out a clear ambition to take it from a physical record into a practical example of commodity tokenisation, with the DMCC-VARA tokenisation framework as the roadmap. Today, we are delivering on that ambition,” says DMCC CEO and executive chairperson Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

“This launch demonstrates Dubai’s ability to connect established commodities infrastructure with digital technology and specialist expertise. Through DMCC Tradeflow and our broader work with VARA and industry partners, we are creating practical pathways for real-world assets to enter the digital economy while retaining a clear connection to the underlying physical commodity.

“This is precisely the convergence of commodities, capital and technology that DMCC is building in Dubai, and an important step in the continued evolution of one of the world’s leading precious metals hubs,” he adds.

“The silver bar ARVA marks an important milestone as the first tokenised commodity asset issued under the DMCC-VARA framework. It demonstrates how Dubai can bring together established commodities infrastructure, regulated virtual asset issuance, institutional custody and blockchain technology to turn tokenisation from concept into a practical, investable product,” VARA sector development head senior director Paul Boots avers.

“For the first time, investors can own a fractional interest in this extraordinary, one-of-one physical asset. Until now, owning something like the world's largest silver bar was simply beyond the reach of almost every investor. . .” Tokinvest CEO and co-founder Scott Thiel highlights.

“When we created this bar, the intention was to represent both the strength of the UAE’s precious metals industry and the significance of 1971 in the country’s history. At 1 971 kg, it became a Guinness World Record holder and a unique physical asset manufactured here in the UAE.

“This next chapter gives people a new way to participate in the ownership of a real, physical asset. For SAM Precious Metals, it demonstrates how the UAE’s established precious metals infrastructure can connect with new models of investment and ownership,” SAM Precious Metals principal CEO Sami Abu Ahmad posits.

“Trust remains the foundation of any valuable asset, whether it is held physically or represented digitally. At Brink’s, we deliver the security, custody and logistics infrastructure that protects high-value commodities and assets throughout their lifecycle, from secure transportation and vault storage to ongoing custody,” says Brink’s Global Services executive VP Nader Antar.