SDAS-100: Digital Asset Classification
A framework for categorizing digital assets by their economic function, rights structure, and Shariah-relevant characteristics.
Read moreThe Institute is drafting a suite of foundational standards through a transparent, consultative process involving scholars, technologists, and market practitioners. Each standard will be released as a draft for public consultation before it is finalized. None is yet published; this page describes the standards under development and how to take part.
Foundational standards (under development)
SDAS-100: Digital Asset Classification
A framework for categorizing digital assets by their economic function, rights structure, and Shariah-relevant characteristics, establishing a common taxonomy to support consistent evaluation across the industry.
Status: Under development — draft for consultation to follow.
SDAS-200: Stablecoin Framework
Criteria for evaluating stablecoin structures, including reserve composition, redemption mechanisms, transparency requirements, and governance arrangements.
Status: Under development — draft for consultation to follow.
SDAS-300: Staking Framework
Principles for assessing staking mechanisms, yield generation, and validator economics from a Shariah alignment perspective.
Status: Under development — draft for consultation to follow.
Shariah principles
The Institute’s standards are grounded in core Islamic finance principles, including:
- Riba (interest) avoidance
- Gharar (excessive uncertainty) reduction
- Maysir (gambling) avoidance
- Permissible economic activity
- Asset ownership and transfer
- Risk-sharing principles
Technical analysis areas
- Smart contract and protocol architecture
- Token minting and burning logic
- Treasury and reserve mechanisms
- Governance and admin controls
- Oracle dependencies
- Upgradeability mechanisms
Developed in the open
The Institute does not publish completed documents before they exist. Each standard will be released as a public consultation draft; the Institute considers open development and scrutiny preferable to the presentation of a document that is not yet complete.
To receive each draft on release, and to take part in the consultation, register your interest below.
See the Glossary for definitions of key terms, and the Methodology for the accreditation and certification pathway.