When you're handing your savings to a fintech, one of the most important questions to ask is: who is accountable if something goes wrong?
That's why Vault is pursuing regulation under ADGM — the Abu Dhabi Global Market. We're not fully licensed yet, but we're building toward it. Here's what ADGM is, what the process involves, and why it matters for you.
What is ADGM?
ADGM is an international financial centre based in Abu Dhabi. It operates as a standalone regulatory jurisdiction — meaning it has its own legal system, its own financial regulator (the Financial Services Regulatory Authority, or FSRA), and its own rulebook, modelled on UK and international standards.
It's not a rubber stamp. ADGM-regulated firms go through real due diligence: governance reviews, capital requirements, operational audits, and ongoing reporting obligations. The FSRA can revoke licences and impose fines.
What regulation actually provides
When a fintech is licensed by a credible regulator, a few structural protections apply:
Client fund segregation. Regulated firms are typically required to hold client deposits separately from operational funds. If a company stops operating, your money isn't mixed in with company assets.
Honest disclosure. Regulated firms can't misrepresent how their products work. Regulators take consumer protection seriously.
A real escalation path. If you have a complaint that isn't resolved fairly, you have an oversight body with genuine authority to step in.
Why we're building toward this
We could launch and sort compliance later. A lot of fintechs do. But we think that's the wrong approach for a product that asks people to trust it with their savings.
Building toward ADGM regulation means we're designing the company to meet a real standard — not retrofitting compliance after the fact. It's more work upfront. It also means we're building something we're prepared to be accountable for.
What unregulated alternatives look like
Many savings and investment apps operate in grey areas — registered in offshore jurisdictions with minimal oversight, or operating without a licence with no end date in sight.
That's a meaningful risk. Not because every unregulated app is a scam, but because there's no structural backstop. If something goes wrong, you're relying entirely on the goodwill of whoever is running it.
What this means right now
We'll update this when we have our ADGM licence in hand. In the meantime, what we can tell you is:
- We're based in Abu Dhabi and operating within that regulatory environment
- We're designing the product to meet the requirements that come with a real licence
- Earnings are fees from borrowers in vetted lending markets — approximately 5.4%, variable, not guaranteed
- You can withdraw anytime
We're not asking you to trust the regulatory stamp yet. We're asking you to trust what we're building toward — and to see that we're transparent about the difference.
Join the waitlist at vlt.money
Vault is operated by Prometheus Labs, currently pursuing ADGM regulatory approval. Earnings are fees from borrowers — not guaranteed returns. Rates vary with market conditions.
