UAE Crypto Expansion: Guardarian Builds Compliance-First Architecture

Petr Sergeev, CEO of Guardarian, a non-custodial payment solution for Web2 and Web3 businesses, believes that building infrastructure that regulators and banks can rely on is crucial for the growth of the crypto industry.

In an interview with Khaleej Times, Sergeev discussed how his company's approach to licensing and compliance has been shaped by operating in the European Union. Guardarian has its roots in Estonia, where it navigated the EU's evolving ecosystem and prepared for the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.

The company is now expanding into the Middle East, focusing on the UAE, where Sergeev sees long-term potential. To operate effectively in the region, Guardarian must secure local VARA Full Market Product or VASP licences, meeting strict requirements regarding governance, operational presence, client asset segregation, and risk management frameworks.

The regulatory frameworks in both the EU (under MiCA) and the UAE (under VARA and Central Bank regulations) aim to bring trust, transparency, and consumer protection to digital assets through structured oversight. Both regions require infrastructure providers to build robust, compliance-first architecture that bridges traditional finance and Web3 with full legal clarity.