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Crypto.com secures full operational license in Dubai

Published date:

February 2, 2026

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As noted by Eric Anziani, President and COO at Crypto.com, “We are thrilled to expand our presence and offering in the UAE with the support of VARA.”

Crypto.com has obtained full operational approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the regulatory body that oversees virtual assets in Dubai. This makes Crypto.com the first crypto exchange to receive authorization to operate in fiat currencies in the UAE.

We're excited to announce our full operational approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority

Crypto․com Exchange will be available for institutional investors as our first launch in the region pic.twitter.com/6ZhHDdzPcT
— Crypto.com (@cryptocom) April 9, 2024

According to the official blog post, the Singapore-based firm seeks to launch an exchange that caters to its institutional clientele as the “first operational milestone” after receiving the license. The platform will offer staking brokerage, spot trading, and other Over-The-Counter services to its institutional investors and certain retail clients who meet the necessary qualifications to trade on the exchange.

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The announcement came almost two years after Crypto.com initiated the process to receive the operational permit in Dubai. In June 2022, the firm completed the first stage of the three-step authorization procedure by securing the initial provisional license from VARA. By March 2023, Crypto.com had received the preparatory license, before acquiring the Virtual Assets Service Provider (VASP) license in November.

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Ayush Pande

Written by:

Ayush Pande

Writer

As a tech enthusiast who's always on the prowl for the latest developments concerning crypto and hardware, you can find him covering news stories or tinkering with PCs.

About the Author

As a tech enthusiast who's always on the prowl for the latest developments concerning crypto and hardware, you can find him covering news stories or tinkering with PCs.

About the Author

Radica Maneva

Reviewed by:

Radica Maneva

Senior Editor

Radica is a Senior Editor at Bitcompare. She has worked for more than a decade at leading publications as an Editor across various industries, including crypto and finance.

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