The UAE Securities & Commodities Authority has issued a regulatory framework for virtual assets, establishing a dedicated regime to govern virtual asset activities and widening the scope of what is subject to regulation. The framework comprises five modules covering general requirements, business conduct, an alternative trading system regime, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, and prudential requirements. It expands the regulated activity perimeter from three activities to eight, covering dealing in virtual assets as principal and as agent, custody and arranging custody, arranging investment deals, investment advice, portfolio management, and operating a multilateral trading facility. The alternative trading system module applies to trading facilities for virtual assets as well as multilateral trading facilities for traditional securities and for tokenised securities. The Authority frames the regime as aligned with international standards including those of the International Organization of Securities Commissions and the Financial Action Task Force, with requirements calibrated to the nature of the activity and its risk level.
UAE Securities & Commodities Authority 2026-04-13
UAE Securities & Commodities Authority issues virtual assets regulatory framework and expands regulated activities to eight
The UAE Securities & Commodities Authority has issued a dedicated regulatory framework for virtual assets, expanding regulated activities from three to eight, including dealing as principal and agent, custody, arranging investment deals, investment advice, portfolio management, and operating a multilateral trading facility. The framework comprises five modules covering general requirements, business conduct, an alternative trading system regime, AML/CFT, and prudential requirements, and applies to trading facilities for virtual assets, tokenised securities, and traditional securities.