The Chain Onboarding Millions w/ ADI Foundation CEO Andrey Lazorenko
Wednesday, 7 January 2026 · 1 min read · Listen to the episode ↗
Andrey Lazorenko, CEO of the ADI Foundation, describes the UAE's role as a digital innovation hub and introduces the ADI Chain, a modular Layer 2 blockchain aimed at user onboarding and EVM compatibility. The ADI Chain focuses on regulatory compliance and partnerships with major players like BlackRock and MasterCard to streamline digital currency markets. Looking ahead, the foundation plans to enhance financial services and digital identity solutions, emphasizing the potential of tokenized real-world assets in upcoming projects.
Andrei Lazorenko, CEO of the ADI Foundation, discusses the UAE's evolution into a global hub for digital innovation, emphasizing the region's supportive environment for entrepreneurs through effective regulations and high-quality governmental services. The ADI Chain is introduced as a permissionless modular Layer 2 blockchain built on the ZK Sync framework, designed to onboard a large user base with customizable solutions for corporate clients and governments, while ensuring full EVM compatibility.
The conversation clarifies the distinctions between Layer 1 and Layer 2 chains and addresses the challenges of onboarding new users while maintaining sovereignty. The ADI Chain utilizes Ethereum as its settlement layer, focusing on compliance readiness to facilitate partnerships and infrastructure development. The ADI Foundation, supported by a major international holding group in the UAE, emphasizes B2B and G2G contracts to enhance value through various use cases.
Recent partnerships with BlackRock, MasterCard, and Franklin Templeton are highlighted as pivotal in the digital currency landscape, aiming to unify fragmented markets. MasterCard plans to enhance its Token Network, while BlackRock is focused on the sovereignty of the ADI chain through a UAE sovereign cloud architecture. The ADI chain seeks to deliver value through diverse applications, including payments and identity assets, while providing developers with tools like Solidity.
Looking ahead to 2026, the roadmap includes growth in financial verticals targeting global South regions, collaboration with FinStreet for tokenized securities, and investment in digital identity solutions, with offerings expected by the end of Q1. The discussion emphasizes the intersection of financial rails, digital identity, and tokenized assets, highlighting the significant market potential for tokenized real-world assets, particularly in equity that currently lacks effective pricing mechanisms. Lazorenko underscores the importance of these tools in shaping the future of blockchain engagement.
This summary was generated from the episode transcript and can contain mistakes.