Virtual Asset Lending 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 collateralised lending and borrowing of virtual assets to retail and institutional counterparties.

Regulatory requirements

Requires external approval — Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) (Dubai) / Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA) (other Emirates) & Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)

100% foreign ownershipYes

Facility requirementLicensed VARA/SCA-Compliant Office with Cybersecurity & Risk Controls

Market Analysis

Third of three lending-related codes in this dataset (with Cryptocurrency Lending and Digital Asset Lending) — all map to VARA's Lending and Borrowing Services category. AED 100,000 application fee, AED 200,000/year supervision.

"Virtual Asset Lending" is the naming variant closest to VARA's own terminology among the three. Applicants should expect VARA's review to focus heavily on collateralization ratios, liquidation triggers, and whether client assets are commingled with the platform's own lending book — the exact failure points that caused several international crypto-lending platforms to collapse in 2022, which shaped VARA's cautious approach to this category from the outset.

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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