ADI Chain and Swiss hardware wallet provider Tangem have launched a co-branded cryptocurrency wallet through Virgin Megastores across the United Arab Emirates, taking a product normally purchased online into one of the country’s best-known consumer retail chains.
The wallet is designed to give users direct control over their digital assets while supporting cryptocurrencies across more than 80 blockchain networks. Bitcoin, Ethereum and tokens native to the ADI Chain ecosystem are among the assets supported by the product.
Availability through Virgin Megastores gives customers the option of purchasing the device from a physical retailer rather than relying exclusively on online ordering. The launch also places a self-custody product alongside mainstream electronics and consumer technology, potentially making hardware wallets more visible to buyers who may not regularly use specialist cryptocurrency stores.
Bringing Self-Custody into Physical Stores
Hardware wallets store the credentials needed to control cryptocurrency separately from internet-connected devices. In Tangem’s case, the wallet takes the form of a contactless smart card containing a secure chip that generates and stores private keys on the device. Users connect the card to the Tangem mobile application by tapping it against a compatible smartphone using near-field communication, or NFC.
Transactions are prepared and managed through the mobile application, but authorization requires the physical card. The user taps the wallet against the phone to sign a transaction, while the private key remains inside the card’s chip. This structure is intended to reduce exposure to malware or online attacks that may target credentials stored on conventional internet-connected devices.
Moving that technology into physical stores could simplify the first step for customers who are interested in self-custody but are uncomfortable buying a security device from an unfamiliar online seller. Buyers can obtain the wallet through an established retailer and complete the activation process using an NFC-enabled smartphone, although users still remain responsible for protecting their cards, access codes and any recovery information associated with the wallet.
ADI Chain Expands Its Consumer Reach
ADI Chain was developed as blockchain infrastructure for institutional use, with the ADI Foundation positioning the network for adoption by governments, regulated organizations and large enterprises. The Abu Dhabi-based foundation says its infrastructure is intended to support blockchain deployment within policy and compliance frameworks suited to institutional environments.
The Tangem partnership brings ADI Chain into a more consumer-facing setting. While the network’s broader strategy has emphasized institutional applications, the branded wallet gives individual users a physical product through which they can hold ADI Chain-native tokens alongside widely used digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Ivan Branitskiy, head of decentralized finance at the ADI Foundation, said: "ADI Chain was built with the same security and compliance standards that institutions expect. Tangem's hardware has a zero-compromise track record across millions of devices, and Virgin Megastores gives us direct distribution access in one of the most recognised retail environments in the UAE. Retail distribution is how we can onboard more people on-chain, and that starts with making the self-custodial wallet available in places retailers can easily reach."
Tangem Builds on Its UAE Retail Presence
Tangem markets its wallet as a card-sized device that does not require a battery, cable, Bluetooth connection or separate computer. The broader Tangem platform supports thousands of digital assets across dozens of blockchain networks, while the ADI Chain launch announcement states that the co-branded wallet supports more than 80 networks.
The company says its secure chip carries an Evaluation Assurance Level 6 Augmented, or EAL6+, certification. Such certification concerns the evaluation of the chip’s resistance to specified forms of attack; it should not be interpreted as a guarantee against every possible loss, scam or user error. Hardware wallets can reduce certain online security risks, but users may still lose access through mishandled recovery credentials, forgotten access codes or fraudulent transactions they authorize themselves.
Tangem products were already listed through Virgin Megastore UAE before the co-branded ADI Chain launch, including multi-card hardware wallet packages. The latest release builds on that existing retail channel by introducing a wallet tied specifically to the ADI Chain ecosystem rather than establishing Tangem’s first presence at the retailer.
Darya Karpukova, Chief Commercial Officer of Tangem, said: "By partnering with ADI Chain and Virgin Megastores, we're bringing secure self-custody into everyday retail, making hardware wallets as easy to buy and use as any other consumer technology."
