UAE Crypto Compliance Insights
Practical articles on VARA, ADGM, DIFC and CMA licensing, AML/CFT and regulatory updates from the VAF Global compliance team.
VARA Proprietary Trading: Obligations, Dos and Don'ts for Prop Traders in Dubai
What crypto prop traders in Dubai must do to stay compliant with VARA: the NOC, the USD 250m registration rule, the line with licensed activity and a checklist.
Read articleBlockchain Forensic Reports: What They Are and When You Need One
What a crypto forensic report contains, when businesses, lawyers and victims in the UAE need one, and what makes a report credible for decision-makers.
Read articleKYC in the UAE: CDD vs EDD Explained for Regulated Businesses
What UAE AML rules require for KYC: customer due diligence, beneficial ownership, when enhanced due diligence applies, and ongoing monitoring.
Read articleAML Compliance for Real Estate Agents in Dubai: A Practical Guide
AML rules for Dubai real estate agents and brokers: when you are a DNFBP, goAML registration, REAR reports for cash and crypto payments, and KYC on buyers.
Read articleAML Compliance for Gold and Precious Metal Dealers (DPMS) in the UAE
AML rules for UAE gold and precious metal dealers: goAML registration, DPMS reports for AED 55,000+ cash deals, KYC, sanctions and responsible sourcing.
Read articleWhat Should an AML Policy Include? A UAE Checklist
The sections every UAE AML/CFT policy needs: risk assessment, KYC and EDD, sanctions, monitoring, goAML reporting, governance, training and records.
Read articleVARA, ADGM, DIFC or CMA? Choosing Your UAE Crypto Regulator in 2026
A plain-English comparison of the UAE's crypto regulators (VARA, ADGM's FSRA, the DFSA and the CMA) and how to choose the right one.
Read articleSCA Is Now the CMA: What the 2026 Change Means for Crypto Firms
On 1 January 2026 the UAE's Securities and Commodities Authority became the Capital Market Authority. What changed for crypto and securities firms.
Read articleCrypto Proprietary Trading in Dubai: VARA NOC and the USD 250m Threshold
Trading crypto with your own money in Dubai or DMCC? How VARA treats proprietary trading, when registration is mandatory and when you need a full licence.
Read articleVARA Licence Checklist: Compliance Documents to Prepare Before You Apply
The compliance documents and decisions to have ready before submitting a VARA licence application, from risk assessments to Travel Rule procedures.
Read articleThe Travel Rule in the UAE: A Practical Guide for VASPs
What the Travel Rule requires, how it applies to UAE virtual asset service providers and how to build a workable Travel Rule process.
Read articleKYT Explained: Crypto Transaction Monitoring for UAE Businesses
Know Your Transaction (KYT) explained: what it is, why UAE regulators expect it and how to screen wallets and transactions for risk.
Read articleWhat Does an MLRO Do? Outsourcing the MLRO Role in the UAE
The role of the Money Laundering Reporting Officer in UAE firms, what regulators expect, and when outsourcing the MLRO makes sense.
Read articlegoAML Registration in the UAE: What VASPs and DNFBPs Need to Know
What goAML is, who must register in the UAE, and how suspicious transaction reporting works for VASPs and DNFBPs.
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