A Karachi-based team led by blockchain entrepreneur Abdul Rafay Gadit has unveiled ZIGChain, a base-level network designed from the ground up to satisfy Islamic finance principles while supporting the fast-growing market for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). The mainnet beta, which went live earlier this week, positions itself as the first Layer 1 chain to embed native tools that help developers and institutions avoid interest-bearing structures and excessive uncertainty, requirements central to Shariah law.
Riding the RWA Surge
Institutional appetite for putting property, commodities and traditional securities on-chain has expanded rapidly, with market estimates indicating a 260 percent jump to roughly US$50 billion in 2025. Analysts attribute the rise to financial firms seeking the improved liquidity, fractional ownership and auditability that blockchain ledgers can offer. Project backers contend that ZIGChain’s architecture—and its emphasis on compliance screening and automated audits—sets it apart in a field dominated by general-purpose networks.
Built-In User Base Solves the Cold-Start Problem
Unlike many new blockchains that struggle to attract liquidity, ZIGChain benefits from an existing community of more than 600,000 retail participants and 150 professional fund managers inherited from Zignaly, a licensed social-investing platform closely linked to the project. Supporters argue that this pre-assembled user pool addresses the early-stage adoption hurdles that often plague emerging chains and should help developers launch decentralized applications more quickly.
Pakistan’s Regulatory Tailwind
The timing coincides with Islamabad’s decision in March to form a national Crypto Council, its first formal step toward sector oversight. The government appointed Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao as strategic adviser, signalling an intent to integrate international expertise. Industry observers estimate Pakistan hosts about 40 million crypto users, and local entrepreneurs describe the regulatory shift as a catalyst for innovation in compliant digital finance.
Ecosystem and Funding Plans
At launch, the network already counts several in-house applications: an AI-driven decentralized exchange, a staking service, a lending protocol that accepts tokenized RWAs as collateral, and a DeFi aggregator tailored to Shariah constraints. Zamanat, marketed as the world’s first Shariah-compatible RWA platform, anchors the ecosystem. Development is further supported by a US$100 million fund backed by DWF Labs and additional partners to spur ventures that build on the chain.
— ZIGChain (@ZIGChain) June 19, 2025
Technical Roadmap
Co-founder and chief executive Bart Bordallo said the beta release marks the shift from conceptual vision to operational foundation. He emphasized that the chain’s high-performance, interoperable design aims to handle complex DeFi workloads, large-scale RWA tokenization and automated investment strategies without sacrificing compliance checks. Over the coming months, the team plans to activate a validator network, token bridges and expanded staking facilities, describing these additions as safeguards for stability as transaction volumes grow.
Co-Founders @ARafayGadit and @brbordallo linked up with the Madrid community for an open session during the meetup, sharing how ZIGChain is building an infrastructure to scale real-world use cases and unlock on-chain wealth creation. pic.twitter.com/hUfP2VjKpb
— ZIGChain (@ZIGChain) June 24, 2025
Targeting a US$4 Trillion Market
Industry researchers value the global Islamic finance sector at roughly US$4 trillion, with a young, digitally fluent Muslim population driving demand for products that marry religious requirements with modern user experience. ZIGChain’s founders believe that combining compliance-first infrastructure with RWA tokenization can unlock scalable wealth-creation avenues for that demographic and for institutions seeking exposure to Shariah-compliant assets.
Looking Ahead
By converging real-world asset tokenization, Islamic financial standards and Layer 1 performance, ZIGChain aspires to carve out a niche in both emerging and established crypto markets. Whether it can convert early momentum into sustained adoption will depend on its ability to uphold Shariah integrity, deliver seamless tooling for developers and maintain liquidity across its expanding suite of decentralized services.