SCA and VARA Forge Landmark Partnership to Scale Dubai’s Tiered Crypto Licensing Model Nationwide

Dubai’s crypto regulators just fired a warning shot across the UAE’s financial sector.

The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) are joining forces to export Dubai’s tiered licensing framework to all seven emirates—creating the region’s first unified crypto rulebook.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just bureaucratic shuffling. The partnership effectively turns Dubai’s experimental sandbox into a nationwide compliance blueprint—forcing Abu Dhabi’s free zone giants and smaller emirates to play by the same rules.

The Fine Print

Expect tighter capital requirements for exchanges and mandatory FATF travel rule compliance. The phased rollout suggests existing operators get 12-18 months to adapt—or face the regulatory hammer.

One banking executive anonymously grumbled: ‘First they compete with our SWIFT transfers, now they’re writing the rulebook. Maybe we should’ve bought Bitcoin in 2016.’