Liv integrates UAE-registered USDU with zero-fee trading

Liv, Emirates NBD’s digital banking platform, will integrate Universal Digital Intl Limited’s USDU and offer 90 days of zero-fee crypto trading through Aquanow ME FZE’s infrastructure, according to the partners. Customers will be able to trade USDU through Liv X without leaving Liv’s banking interface.

Universal issues USDU, while Aquanow supplies distribution, liquidity and digital-asset infrastructure. Liv provides the customer-facing banking platform through which customers access Liv X.

Liv said customers can manage banking activities and digital-asset portfolios in one secure environment. Emirates NBD said Liv serves close to 500,000 users, giving Universal an established retail channel for USDU and Aquanow a bank-based distribution route.

How is USDU backed and regulated?

The partners describe USDU as the UAE’s first dollar-backed stablecoin registered with the Central Bank of the UAE. Universal said the token is backed one-for-one by physical U.S. dollar reserves held at UAE banks.

Public monthly attestations verify the stated backing, creating a scheduled disclosure point for token holders and counterparties. The partnership places issuance, token distribution and financial services under separate UAE permissions.

• Central Bank of the UAE: Universal issues USDU under the Payment Token Services Regulation and holds registration as a Foreign Payment Token Issuer.
• Financial Services Regulatory Authority: Universal operates under its oversight and holds Financial Services Permission No. 250089.
• Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority: Aquanow ME FZE operates in Dubai under license number L-2795 and holds license VL/24/01/001.

What does Aquanow contribute?

Aquanow’s licensed activities include Broker-Dealer Services, Lending and Borrowing Services, and Management and Investment Services. Its infrastructure has processed more than USD 130 billion in trading volume, according to the partners.

Aquanow chief executive officer Phil Sham said: “Aquanow’s role is to make regulated digital asset access work at bank-grade standards.” He described the arrangement as connecting a registered stablecoin, a licensed broker-dealer and a digital bank through a shared infrastructure stack.

What changes for Liv customers?

Juha Viitala, Senior Executive Officer at Universal, said USDU is the first USD-backed token Liv customers can trade within their banking app, using Aquanow’s regulated infrastructure. The addition extends Liv’s digital-asset offering to a token linked one-for-one to physical U.S. dollar reserves.

Rohit Garg, Emirates NBD’s Group Head of Retail Products and Chief Digital Officer of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, said the integration broadens Liv’s digital-asset functionality. He also said it brings regulated digital assets directly into customers’ day-to-day banking app.

Operationally, Universal provides issuance, Aquanow operates the trading and liquidity stack, and Liv supplies the customer distribution channel. The customer-facing result is one app for banking and USDU trading, rather than a separate interface for the token.

How does the 90-day promotion work?

Liv’s promotion offers zero fees for crypto trading for 90 days. It applies to both new and experienced users and covers the enhanced platform, including USDU trading through Liv X.

The campaign is designed to encourage use of the enhanced platform, Liv said. The zero-fee period lowers an immediate barrier to initial use, while the in-app placement connects USDU with Liv’s existing retail customer base.

The integration enters a 90-day fee-free trading window. The next commercial variable is whether Emirates NBD extends the zero-fee period or replaces it with a standing fee schedule for USDU trading.