ATME, the Manama-based digital assets exchange licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain, has introduced what it calls MENA’s first regulated tokenized investment model, enabling brokers and asset managers to issue and trade products directly on its platform. The first launch partner is Arabian Gulf Capital, with the inaugural fixed-income portfolio reportedly selling out within hours and offering secondary market access to investors via digitally native tokens.

ATME says each product listed on the platform requires regulatory approval under Bahrain’s framework, aiming to cut operational complexity and compliance burden while keeping investor protections in view.

Maxim Ryabov, Chief Product Officer at ATME, said: “Brokers have traditionally faced high costs and lengthy processes to launch investment products. For the first time in the region, brokers can issue their own trading strategies as regulated products and offer them to hundreds of clients, without the friction of establishing dedicated funds or working through third-party structures. This breakthrough model combines investor protection with the speed, flexibility, and cost-efficiency of tokenized assets.”

The Kingdom has positioned itself as a regulated testbed for financial innovation, and a live, compliant pathway for tokenized products gives founders, brokers, and asset managers a faster route from strategy to market. If tokenized portfolios can reach secondary trading quickly, fintech builders can focus on product design, distribution, and data quality while relying on a venue that sits within the CBB’s supervisory perimeter. As more issuers follow Arabian Gulf Capital, Bahrain adds real examples to a global shift toward regulated real-world-asset tokenization that investors can scrutinize on transparent terms.

For operators, the immediate takeaway is practical: Bahrain now offers a regulated venue where broker-led strategies can be wrapped as listed tokens without creating new funds or bespoke third-party structures. For investors, especially family offices and institutions looking at fixed-income or alternative baskets, the combination of regulatory approval, secondary liquidity, and exchange-hosted lifecycle management is a material shift. Expect adjacent moves as tokenization extends to other asset classes and as ecosystem partners coordinate on compliance and Sharia structuring, reflected in ATME’s fresh tie-up with Shariyah Review Bureau this week.

Keep an eye out on the Central Bank of Bahrain for licensing and market conduct, and Bahrain Bourse for potential secondary-market linkages and data that founders and issuers will track as the model scales.