ZIGChain has entered a partnership with Beehive to explore the tokenisation of private credit opportunities, marking a significant step toward bringing regulated investment products on-chain in the Middle East.
The collaboration will focus on structuring institutional-grade, real-world yield products by enabling UAE-based small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) credit to be issued, distributed and serviced via blockchain infrastructure. The initiative aims to expand access to transparent and programmable private credit markets while maintaining compliance within existing regulatory frameworks.
Under the partnership, both firms will jointly assess the operational architecture required to support tokenised credit exposure, including issuance processes, investor distribution channels, and lifecycle servicing on-chain.
“Teaming up with Beehive marks a meaningful milestone for both of us. They’ve built real credibility and a proven track record in SME lending across the GCC, and when you pair that with our blockchain infrastructure, designed for real-world assets, it opens the door to bringing private credit onchain in a way that actually works and scales,” said Abdul Rafay Gadit, Co-founder and Head of Global Markets at ZIGChain.
ZIGChain is advancing its private credit origination pipeline across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), positioning the initiative as part of a broader push into real-world asset tokenisation. The current phase includes operational pilots and does not constitute a public fund launch, yield guarantee, or retail lending product.
Beehive, a pioneer in digital SME lending in the UAE, views tokenisation as a natural evolution of its funding model, which has shifted from peer-to-peer (P2P) structures toward institutional capital.
“Beehive was built as a digital-first private credit platform and has demonstrated its ability to originate, underwrite and service SME funding at scale. Our evolution from P2P funding to institutional capital strengthened the depth and stability of our funding base.
“Tokenization represents the next phase of market development, expanding access and deepening the market for high-quality private credit.
“We believe this opportunity must be pursued within a regulated framework and with trusted infrastructure partners to maintain strong discipline around risk and governance. We are excited to work with ZigChain to support this next stage of growth,” said Peter Tavener, chief executive officer and co-founder of Beehive.
Both companies emphasised that the partnership does not imply additional regulatory approvals beyond existing frameworks and does not guarantee investor returns, noting that credit risk remains tied to underlying borrowers.
