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Spot crypto in UAE
Capital.com is preparing to launch spot cryptocurrency trading in the United Arab Emirates after its affiliate Capital Vault obtained a virtual-asset license from the UAE Capital Market Authority.
“Capital.com is preparing to launch spot cryptocurrency trading in the United Arab Emirates.”
The license allows Capital Vault to deal in virtual assets as an agent or matched principal and to custody client assets, and once the service launches UAE clients will be able to buy and hold actual cryptocurrencies through the Capital.com app.
The spot service is described as a departure from Capital.com’s existing contracts-for-difference, or CFD, model, which gives users exposure to price moves without direct ownership of the underlying asset.
Capital Vault will oversee order execution, custody and settlement, and it operates as an independent regulated entity with governance, custody and risk-management systems separated from Capital.com’s other business units.
Regulatory framework and setup
The approval follows the UAE Capital Market Authority’s introduction of a virtual-asset regulatory framework in April, when the regulator expanded the number of regulated activities to eight from three.
The framework is described as adding requirements covering conduct standards, alternative trading systems, anti-money-laundering controls and prudential rules, and it is also said to establish a public register of licensed virtual-asset service providers.
Capital Vault has opened an office in Abu Dhabi and is assembling a local team focused on crypto, with Capital Vault operating as a separately regulated entity rather than within Capital.com’s existing regulatory structure.
Capital.com has not yet published a launch date, a list of supported assets or a fee schedule, and the sources say those details will determine how the offering competes against established crypto exchanges and other licensed brokers already operating in the Gulf state.
What changes for users
Once live, the planned spot service would let UAE customers buy and hold actual digital assets directly through the Capital.com app, with the affiliate handling execution, custody and settlement.
“"Capital.com clients across the region have been asking for a straightforward, regulated way to buy and hold virtual-assets"”
The sources contrast this with Capital.com’s CFD approach, which provides price exposure without ownership of the underlying cryptocurrency, and they describe the spot model as transferring direct ownership of the cryptocurrency to the buyer.
Finbold quotes Capital Vault UAE CEO Rahul Kumar saying, "The UAE is at the forefront of virtual-asset regulation in the region, and the Capital Market Authority's review process for virtual-asset licensing reflects that rigour," alongside Capital.com MENA CEO Tarik Chebib saying, "This licence lets us bring that to clients in the UAE, with Capital Vault providing the infrastructure behind it, and more products to follow."
The next confirmed developments are described as needing Capital.com to complete its product and operational rollout, with the sources pointing to the need for a launch date, available assets, fees, custody terms and rules governing deposits and withdrawals.