Crypto Asset Management License UAE

ISIC classification: Other activities auxiliary to financial service activities (6619)

Typically requires Designated Zone status for VAT purposes

About this activity

Professionally manages client cryptocurrency holdings, including allocation, rebalancing, and risk reporting, under a discretionary or advisory mandate.

Regulatory requirements

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

100% foreign ownershipYes

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

Market Analysis

VARA's Management and Investment Services category — covers discretionary management of client virtual-asset portfolios, similar in concept to a traditional asset manager but for crypto/digital assets. AED 100,000 application fee, AED 200,000/year supervision, with capital requirements scaled to assets under management.

"Crypto Asset Management" here, and "Crypto Fund Management," "Digital Asset Portfolio Management," "VA Management and Investment Services," and "Virtual Asset Fund Management" elsewhere in this dataset, are five DED naming variants of this same license.

Dubai-only in practice. This category has attracted real institutional interest — several traditional asset managers have sought VARA licensing specifically to offer regulated crypto exposure to UAE and regional investors who want exposure without directly holding assets themselves.

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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