Digital Asset Custody License UAE

ISIC classification: Other financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding activities, n.e.c. (6499)

Typically requires Designated Zone status for VAT purposes

About this activity

Provides institutional-grade safekeeping of digital-asset private keys using segregated wallets and multi-party computation security.

Regulatory requirements

Requires external approval — Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) (Dubai) / Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA) (other Emirates)

100% foreign ownershipYes

Facility requirementLicensed Custody Facility with Cold/Hot Wallet Security Infrastructure

Market Analysis

Same VARA Custody Services license as "Cryptocurrency Custody" and "Virtual Asset Custody Services" elsewhere in this dataset — three DED naming variants, one regulated activity. AED 100,000 application fee, AED 200,000/year supervision, with capital requirements that scale meaningfully above VARA's baseline given custody's direct exposure to client asset loss.

This category exists because Exchange, Broker-Dealer, and Management & Investment licensees often need a separate, dedicated custodian rather than self-custodying client assets — a genuine specialization opportunity, but one that requires serious institutional-grade infrastructure (multi-signature/MPC key management, cold storage, crime insurance) to be credible with VARA reviewers and with the licensed platforms that would actually use the service.

Dubai-only in practice. 100% foreign ownership applies.

Available in: . A detailed per-emirate fee breakdown isn't published for this activity yet — check back soon, or get a scored recommendation for your specific business below.

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