Virtual Asset Market Making License UAE

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

Typically requires Designated Zone status for VAT purposes

About this activity

Continuously quotes two-way prices for virtual assets across trading venues to maintain liquidity and narrow bid-ask spreads.

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

Same own-capital-versus-client-capital distinction as Crypto Liquidity Provider elsewhere in this dataset determines the regulatory picture here: market making with the firm's own book is closer to proprietary trading (lighter regulatory touch), while market making on behalf of client funds moves toward VARA's Management and Investment Services category (AED 100,000 application, AED 200,000/year supervision).

"Market Making" as an activity has real, established demand in the UAE's growing exchange ecosystem — exchanges licensed under VARA's Exchange Services category (see that cluster elsewhere in this dataset) generally need liquidity providers to maintain functional order books, so this is a genuine service opportunity tied directly to the broader ecosystem's growth.

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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