Updated weekly · Last update: 9 November 2026 · Regulatory Gate · Data from VARA's public register, news, regulatory notices and rulebooks
See all five: UAE regulator tracker
Short answer. VARA's latest update is a 28 October 2026 circular on good practice for VASPs' public disclosures. Its public register lists 60 licensed virtual asset service providers as of 9 November 2026. Another 23 firms hold an In-Principle Approval (IPA), and 20 of the licensed firms received their licence in 2026.
Latest regulatory updates
VARA issued two circulars between August and 9 November 2026. Its last enforcement notice was on 24 July 2026. The table lists every VARA update in 2026, most recent first.
| Date | Type | Update and who it affects | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Oct 2026 | Circular | Good practices for VASPs' public disclosures. Sets out good practice from a thematic review VARA began in June 2026. Covers disclosure governance and testing, pricing methodology, order routing, VA-specific information, protection of client assets and third-party accounts. Applies to all licensed VASPs. | Source |
| 6 Oct 2026 | Circular | Reserve Assets Audit Report. Sets the minimum scope of the independent audit of Reserve Assets after a review of 2025 proof-of-reserve reports. Auditors must test 100% reserves, one-to-one holding, every client wallet, segregation, wallet control, daily reconciliation and any rehypothecation. Affects VASPs that hold client virtual assets. | Source |
| 24 Jul 2026 | Enforcement | Notice of fines: Shelbit General Trading L.L.C. Fined and ordered to cease and desist. VARA found it still served Dubai customers without a licence, onboarded users without KYC and marketed in Dubai without authorisation. | Source |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Enforcement | Notice of fines: Peken Global Limited (KuCoin). Fined and ordered to cease and desist for providing broker-dealer and/or exchange services in Dubai without a licence. The firm has said it intends to apply for a licence. | Source |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Enforcement | Notice of fines: MX Global LTD (MEXC). Fined and ordered to cease and desist for serving Dubai customers without a licence from 2022 to April 2026 and for onboarding users without KYC. | Source |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Enforcement | Notice of fines: CoinMENA FZE. A licensed broker-dealer, fined for AML programme failures found in supervisory inspections through FY 2025. It has started a remediation plan. | Source |
| 12 Jun 2026 | Guidance | AML/CFT Business Risk Assessment Guidance. Shows what a strong business risk assessment looks like, drawing on VARA's 2026 thematic review. Written for all licensed VASPs. | Source |
| 1 Jun 2026 | Circular | UAE Proliferation Financing National Risk Assessment 2026. Requires VASPs to review the PF NRA and update risk assessments, policies and controls within 30 calendar days of the circular. | Source |
| 9 Apr 2026 | Guidance | Guidance on the Virtual Asset Issuance Rulebook. New guidance with topic-by-topic explanations and worked examples for VA issuers. | Source |
| 31 Mar 2026 | Rulebook | Exchange Services Rulebook, new version. Takes effect 31 March 2026. Adds Part V on exchange-traded derivative services, including margin and leverage limits, perpetual contracts and insurance funds. Affects licensed exchanges. | Source |
| 5 Mar 2026 | Warning | Investor and marketplace alert: KuCoin. Warns that Phoenixfin Pte Ltd, MEK Global Limited, Peken Global Limited and Kucoin Exchange EU GmbH hold no VARA licence to serve Dubai. | Source |
| 5 Mar 2026 | Warning | Investor and marketplace alert: MEXC. Warns that MEXC Estonia OÜ and MEXC Global LTD hold no VARA licence to serve Dubai. | Source |
| 4 Mar 2026 | Circular | Implementation of the UAE AML/CFT/PF Executive Regulations. Sets VARA's expectations under Cabinet Resolution No. (134) of 2025, in force from 14 December 2025. Includes CDD for occasional transactions of AED 3,500 or more. | Source |
| 24 Feb 2026 | Circular | Implementation of the UAE Virtual Assets Travel Rule. Sets VARA's expectations for the Travel Rule. Beneficiary identity checks apply to transfers of AED 3,500 or more a day where the beneficiary is not yet verified. | Source |
| 19 Feb 2026 | Warning | Update on the Real Estate Tokenisation Pilot. Confirms Phase 1 is complete and Phase 2 testing is under way. Warns against firms implying they take part without approval. | Source |
| 22 Jan 2026 | Circular | Enhanced measures for high-risk jurisdictions. Applies the October 2025 FATF lists, adopted by National Committee Decision No. (15) of 2025. | Source |
| 8 Jan 2026 | Circular | Onboarding and classification of qualified investors. Explains how to classify clients as retail, qualified or institutional under Part IV of the Market Conduct Rulebook. | Source |
Coming up
VARA's website shows no dated deadlines after 9 November 2026. We add them here when VARA publishes them.
Licensed firms by year
| Year the licence was issued | Firms |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 12 |
| 2025 | 17 |
| 2026, to 9 November | 20 |
| Total | 60 |
All 60 show the status "Active".
Licences issued in 2026, by month
| Month | Firms |
|---|---|
| January | 1 |
| February | 1 |
| March | 2 |
| April | 4 |
| May | 1 |
| June | 3 |
| July | 1 |
| August | 4 |
| September | 0 |
| October | 3 |
The most recent licence went to Bybit Fintech FZE on 20 October 2026.
In-Principle Approvals
- 23 issued. The IPA list has 25 entries. Twenty-three show "Issued" and two show "Withdrawn".
- September was the busiest month. Seven of the 23 issued IPAs are dated September 2026.
- Most recent. WB Fintech Development FZE (WhiteBIT), 30 September 2026.
| Applicant | Activities applied for | Date issued |
|---|---|---|
| WB Fintech Development FZE (WhiteBIT) | Exchange Services | 30 Sep 2026 |
| CFIX VA Broker and Dealer Services LLC S.O.C | Broker-Dealer Services | 29 Sep 2026 |
| BTGT MENA FZE | Exchange Services | 24 Sep 2026 |
| WEXID Exchange FZE | Exchange Services | 22 Sep 2026 |
| IG Digital FZE | Broker-Dealer Services | 17 Sep 2026 |
| CLDN Broker Dealer FZE | Broker-Dealer Services | 15 Sep 2026 |
| LUNARARK FZCO | Broker-Dealer Services | 14 Sep 2026 |
| Davensi AM FZCO | Management and Investment Services; Broker-Dealer Services | 26 Aug 2026 |
| Cregis Custody FZE | Custody Services | 7 Aug 2026 |
| WUBU FZCO | Broker-Dealer Services | 3 Aug 2026 |
| METRA VIRTUAL ASSETS EXCHANGE L.L.C | Broker-Dealer Services | 31 Jul 2026 |
| Web3Exchange DMCC | Broker-Dealer Services; Exchange Services | 16 Jul 2026 |
| Triple A Technologies FZCO (Triple A) | Broker-Dealer Services | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Lexim Trading DMCC (Lexim) | Broker-Dealer Services | 12 Jun 2026 |
| Revolut Digital Assets FZE | Broker-Dealer Services; Exchange Services; Management and Investment Services | 5 Jun 2026 |
| Atlas AI Labs FZE | Category 1 VA Issuance | 11 May 2026 |
| First Answer Custody FZE | Custody Services | 11 May 2026 |
| Shipfinex FZCO | Broker-Dealer Services | 14 Jan 2026 |
| Stake RWA FZE | Broker-Dealer Services | 7 Jan 2026 |
| ZEPLY GLOBAL ME FZCO | Advisory Services; Broker-Dealer Services | 26 Dec 2025 |
| Nawy Shares FZCO (SmartCrowd) | Broker-Dealer Services | 26 Dec 2025 |
| Automata FZE (Vancelian) | Management and Investment Services; Lending and Borrowing Services; Advisory Services; Broker-Dealer Services | 18 Dec 2025 |
| Mc Coin Virtual Assets LLC | Management and Investment Services; Broker-Dealer Services | 16 Oct 2025 |
What the firms do
| Activity | Licensed firms | IPA holders |
|---|---|---|
| Broker-Dealer Services | 44 | 17 |
| Exchange Services | 17 | 5 |
| Management and Investment Services | 13 | 4 |
| Custody Services | 6 | 2 |
| Lending and Borrowing Services | 5 | 1 |
| Advisory Services | 3 | 2 |
| Category 1 VA Issuance | 3 | 1 |
Many firms hold more than one activity, so each column adds up to more than the number of firms.
Update history
| Date | Licensed | IPAs issued |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 2026 | 60 | 23 |
Licensing announcements
VARA published no licensing press releases between May and November 2026. It records new licences on its public register. The register shows these licences issued from May to 9 November 2026.
| Date issued | Firm | Licensed activities |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2026 | Bybit Fintech FZE (Bybit) | Exchange Services |
| 6 Oct 2026 | Payward FZCO | Management and Investment Services; Broker-Dealer Services |
| 5 Oct 2026 | Rain MENA FZE | Exchange Services; Broker-Dealer Services |
| 24 Aug 2026 | Standard Chartered Bank | Broker-Dealer Services |
| 7 Aug 2026 | DIMENT VA EXCHANGE SERVICES FZCO (DVA) | Broker-Dealer Services |
| 7 Aug 2026 | ARP Digital FZCO | Broker-Dealer Services |
| 7 Aug 2026 | Flowdesk Omega FZE | Broker-Dealer Services |
| 14 Jul 2026 | Flipster FZE | Exchange Services |
| 23 Jun 2026 | ARBEAT Group FZE | Broker-Dealer Services; Exchange Services |
| 22 Jun 2026 | Tribe Tokenisation FZE | Broker-Dealer Services |
| 2 Jun 2026 | YHEGO Virtual Assets Exchange Service L.L.C | Broker-Dealer Services; Exchange Services |
| 5 May 2026 | CoinCorner Virtual Assets Broker & Dealer Services L.L.C. | Broker-Dealer Services |
New IPAs for the same period are in the In-Principle Approvals table above.
How we count
- Source. We read the "Licensed VASPs" and "In-Principle Approval" tabs of VARA's public register on the date shown.
- Dates. Years and months use the "Licence Issued" or "Date Issued" date on the register.
- Coverage. The register shows current entries. A firm no longer listed is not counted.
- Updates. We list circulars, guidance and announcements from VARA's News & Announcements page, enforcement and warning notices from its Regulatory Notices page, and new rulebook versions from the VARA Rulebook site.
- Use. You may reuse these figures with credit to Regulatory Gate and a link to this page.
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