Most of this site addresses firms, developers, institutions, and regulators. This page is for individual Muslim readers seeking to understand digital assets. It sets out, in plain terms, the matters on which the Institute can assist and, as importantly, those on which it cannot.
What the Institute does
The Institute develops the standards for Shariah-compliant digital assets and accredits the firms competent to review them. The purpose is a clearer and more trustworthy market — one in which compliance is established from the outset, and in which the firms conducting reviews are held to a defined standard.
The Institute also publishes open-source reference code without charge, so that developers may build on a compliant foundation. This raises the standard available across the field, whether or not a project engages the Institute’s paid services.
What the Institute does not do
- It does not provide you with a personal determination. The Institute does not operate a ruling service and does not state whether a particular asset is permissible for you to hold.
- It does not publish a list of approved assets. A list of named assets would mislead more than it would assist; structure and circumstance matter, and both change.
- It does not provide investment advice. Nothing here advises what to acquire, hold, or dispose of. Permissibility and financial prudence are distinct questions.
Where to obtain a personal determination
For a determination in respect of your own circumstances, consult a qualified mufti or a recognized Shariah authority in whom you have confidence. A personal determination should account for your circumstances — which no standards body or website can do on your behalf.
Where a project represents that it has been reviewed, it is reasonable to ask: which accredited firm conducted the review, what precisely was reviewed, and is that still what is deployed? These are the right questions, and the Institute’s model is designed so that they may be answered.
A note on the present stage
The Institute is in active development. Its committees are being constituted, its standards are being drafted, and its registration is in progress. The Institute states this plainly rather than represent itself as complete. As its functions become operational, this page will be extended accordingly.