UAE Tightens Crypto Regulations with New Rulebook and Multiple Compliance Deadlines
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken significant steps to mature its crypto regulatory framework in 2026. The country, known for being one of the world's most crypto-friendly jurisdictions, continues to attract attention from regulators and businesses alike.
In January 2026, Federal Decree-Laws No. 32 and No. 33 of 2025 took effect, abolishing the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCAUSD) and replacing it with the Capital Market Authority (CMA). This move aimed to bring investment-related virtual assets within the federal capital-markets perimeter as financial products.
The CMA's framework primarily covers investment-related virtual assets, exchanges, custody, brokerage, advisory, portfolio management, and alternative trading systems outside the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Meanwhile, payment tokens remain under the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE).
In February 2026, the CMA issued Decision No. 4/R.M/2026, replacing the previous federal Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) framework with a three-module rulebook covering the General Framework Module, Business Regulation Module, and Alternative Trading System Module. This decision established eight licensed virtual-asset financial activities, with minimum capital requirements ranging from AED 500,000 to AED 4 million.
The UAE's regulatory landscape has become increasingly complex, with multiple compliance deadlines rather than a single crypto deadline. Under the CMA framework, entities have until January 1, 2027, to regularise their status under the new federal framework. The compliance window for the CMA Business Regulation and Alternative Trading System Modules runs until February 13, 2027.