French energy leader EDF has signed a groundbreaking agreement with blockchain technology company droppRWA to explore tokenization solutions for Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.
The partnership, announced on January 7, 2025, marks a significant step toward integrating blockchain technology into traditional energy infrastructure.
Omar Aldaweesh, CEO of EDF International Regional Headquarters, and Faisal Al Monai, Chairman of droppRWA Limited, signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Riyadh to develop blockchain-based solutions for the Kingdom’s energy landscape.
What the Partnership Will Explore
The collaboration focuses on three main areas that could transform how energy projects are financed and managed in Saudi Arabia.
First, the companies will assess blockchain protocols to streamline transactions between energy companies. This could reduce paperwork and speed up business processes that currently take weeks or months.
Second, they plan to tokenize real-world energy assets ranging from renewable installations like solar and wind farms to traditional thermal power plants. Tokenization means converting ownership rights into digital tokens that can be bought, sold, or traded more easily than traditional assets. This approach could improve liquidity and make it easier for investors to participate in energy projects.
Source: @Faisal Monai
Third, the partnership will develop innovative frameworks for the carbon credit industry. As companies worldwide seek to reduce their carbon footprints, a transparent blockchain-based system could make carbon credit trading more efficient and trustworthy.
The Companies Behind the Deal
EDF is one of the world’s largest electricity producers and a leader in low-carbon energy. The French state-owned company generates 520 terawatt-hours of low-carbon electricity annually, primarily from nuclear and renewable sources. EDF serves approximately 41.5 million customers globally and reported consolidated sales of €118.7 billion in 2024.
The company’s energy mix relies heavily on nuclear power and renewables including hydropower, wind, and solar. This focus on low-carbon energy aligns well with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
droppRWA specializes in “Sovereign RWA” infrastructure, which helps governments and semi-government entities unlock asset value through blockchain technology. The company is a subsidiary of droppGroup, a US-based firm with operational offices in Canada and Saudi Arabia.
droppRWA has already established a strong presence in Saudi Arabia. In 2023, its parent company signed a collaboration agreement with Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil giant, to deploy Web3 technology. In June 2025, droppRWA partnered with RAFAL Real Estate to execute Saudi Arabia’s first tokenized real estate transaction, allowing citizens to invest in premium properties for as little as one riyal (approximately $0.27).
How Tokenization Could Change Energy Financing
Traditional energy projects require massive upfront capital and involve complex financing arrangements. A large solar farm or nuclear power plant can cost billions of dollars and take years to complete. This high barrier to entry limits who can invest in these projects.
Tokenization could democratize access to energy investments by breaking large assets into smaller digital shares. Instead of needing millions to invest in a power plant, investors might purchase tokens representing fractional ownership. These tokens could be traded 24/7 on digital platforms, providing liquidity that doesn’t exist in traditional energy investments.
The partnership aims to bring transparency throughout the asset lifecycle. Blockchain’s immutable record-keeping means every transaction, maintenance record, and performance metric could be permanently recorded and verified. This transparency could reduce fraud and give investors better information about their holdings.
Omar Aldaweesh emphasized the innovation potential: “Exploring the potential of asset tokenization and next-generation financial technology allows us to look beyond traditional frameworks. This collaboration with droppRWA will provide valuable insights into how these technologies can drive value for our projects and contribute to a more robust carbon credit market.”
Saudi Arabia’s Blockchain Push
This partnership fits into Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to become a leader in blockchain adoption. The Kingdom has positioned itself as one of the Middle East’s most progressive countries for Web3 technology, with multiple initiatives supporting digital transformation.
Saudi Arabia currently has 3 million active crypto investors and recorded $48 billion in crypto transactions between July 2023 and June 2024, according to industry reports. The government has supported blockchain initiatives across multiple sectors including real estate, finance, and now energy.
The country faces competition from the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which have developed sophisticated crypto regulatory frameworks and attracted major blockchain companies. Saudi Arabia’s approach emphasizes partnerships with established global corporations like EDF rather than relying solely on crypto-native startups.
Faisal Al Monai highlighted the market opportunity: “By applying our world-class tokenization infrastructure to key projects in the Kingdom, we are building the future of the Primary Capital Market. This MoU represents a significant step toward making energy assets more accessible, liquid, and efficient through the power of blockchain.”
Global Tokenization Momentum
The EDF-droppRWA partnership comes amid explosive growth in real-world asset tokenization. The total value of tokenized assets reached $36.11 billion as of November 2025, up from just $770 million at the end of 2023.
Major financial institutions have launched tokenized products throughout 2025. JPMorgan introduced a tokenized money market fund on Ethereum in December 2025. BlackRock’s BUIDL fund leads the tokenized treasury market with approximately $1.8 billion in assets. The London Stock Exchange and Börse Stuttgart have both launched blockchain-based settlement platforms.
The energy sector has been slower to adopt tokenization compared to financial assets and real estate. This makes the EDF partnership particularly significant as it could establish blueprints for how major energy companies approach blockchain integration.
Building Tomorrow’s Energy Markets
The partnership between EDF and droppRWA represents more than a single deal between two companies. It signals that traditional energy infrastructure is beginning to merge with blockchain technology in meaningful ways.
Whether tokenization will fundamentally reshape energy financing remains to be seen. But with major players now testing these technologies in real-world applications, the energy sector appears ready to explore what blockchain can offer beyond speculation and theory.