The company plans to combine professionally managed Bitcoin holdings with investments in UAE property and hospitality assets.
Standard Asset Company has opened its headquarters in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) as it prepares to pursue a planned $1.5 billion strategy focused on Bitcoin and real estate.
The company, formally known as Standard Proprietary Company Ltd., plans to establish a Bitcoin reserve while acquiring prominent property and hospitality assets across the UAE. The $1.5 billion figure represents the intended scale of the strategy, not capital already fully invested.
Abu Dhabi headquarters to lead operations
The new ADGM office will serve as the base for the company’s planned activities. Abu Dhabi Global Market is an international financial centre supporting businesses across financial services and investment management.
Standard Asset Company was founded by Sakhib Waseem, Adam Ali and Mason Borda. According to the company, the founders have experience advising on transactions worth more than $7 billion and facilitating over $1 billion in global digital asset offerings.
Through its UAE headquarters, the company aims to establish a presence at the intersection of digital finance and traditional asset markets. The location also places its operations within Abu Dhabi’s established financial ecosystem as the firm prepares to develop its investment plans.
Coinbase Asset Management to oversee Bitcoin holdings
Standard Asset Company has appointed Coinbase Asset Management as the exclusive asset manager for its Bitcoin holdings.
The firm is led by president Anthony Bassili, a former BlackRock executive. Its appointment brings specialist asset management expertise to the company’s planned Bitcoin reserve.
Brett Tejpaul, co-chief executive of Coinbase Institutional, said the strategy connects institutional Bitcoin management with real-world assets. He also highlighted the UAE’s growing importance in the global adoption of digital assets.
The company has not disclosed how the planned $1.5 billion will be divided between Bitcoin and property, leaving the precise allocation unclear. Details about the reserve’s size, management framework and implementation timetable have also not been made public in the announcement.
UAE property and hospitality acquisitions planned
Alongside its Bitcoin strategy, Standard Asset Company intends to acquire prominent real estate assets across the UAE, with hospitality forming part of its broader plans.
The company aims to direct returns from digital asset holdings towards property and hospitality opportunities in the Emirates. This approach would link its digital asset activity with physical assets and businesses connected to tourism and accommodation.
However, the announcement did not identify specific acquisition targets or provide transaction values and a detailed purchasing timetable. It also did not specify which emirates or property types would be prioritised. Further details on planned acquisitions and capital allocation should help clarify how the strategy will be implemented.
Strengthening business connections
The company has also positioned its plans as an opportunity to strengthen commercial links between the UAE and the United States.
Its advisers and shareholders include Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, Mick Mulvaney, a former White House chief of staff, Brett Tejpaul of Coinbase Institutional, and Lord Iain McNicol, a member of the UK House of Lords.
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum said the strategy developed with Coinbase combines institutional expertise in digital asset management with the goal of investing returns in UAE hospitality and real estate.
The involvement of figures from business, finance and public affairs reflects the company’s ambition to connect digital asset management with established economic sectors. Their roles also signal an effort to build relationships across international finance and regional property markets.
What happens next?
The strategy brings together two asset classes with different risk profiles. Bitcoin prices can fluctuate sharply, while property performance depends on market conditions, operating costs, occupancy and demand.
Its progress will depend on the capital committed, the assets acquired and the performance of the resulting portfolio. Investors and market observers will likely look for further information on the timing of acquisitions, the structure of the Bitcoin reserve and how returns may be channelled into property-related projects.
For now, the Abu Dhabi headquarters establishes a base for Standard Asset Company’s planned $1.5 billion strategy. Announcements on acquisitions, funding allocations and implementation timelines should offer a clearer picture of its progress.