UAE Leads in Progressive Crypto Regulation: CZ Points to Abu Dhabi Global Market's Licensing Framework

The UAE has emerged as a leader in progressive crypto regulation, according to Binance founder CZ. At Bitcoin Asia 2026, he argued that the country's licensing framework is among the most advanced globally.

Abu Dhabi Global Market, which oversees much of the UAE's digital-asset licensing, granted Binance a global license covering nearly all of its products. This comprehensive sign-off is rare in the industry, where exchanges typically need to collect separate approvals market by market and product by product.

The UAE's regulatory progress has moved faster on exchange and product licensing than on stablecoin regulation, an area where other jurisdictions, notably the United States, appear to be moving with more urgency. The US is putting more of its regulatory energy into stablecoins, while the CFTC is advancing federal futures and derivatives licenses.