Capital.com Plans UAE Crypto Services After Full CMA License

Capital.com plans to add spot virtual-asset services for customers in the United Arab Emirates after an affiliated company received regulatory approval to deal in and hold digital assets. Capital Vault Virtual Services L.L.C.–S.P.C. has secured a full license from the UAE Capital Market Authority, Capital.com announced.

Once the service becomes available, eligible UAE customers will be able to purchase and hold virtual assets through the Capital.com app. Capital Vault UAE will execute transactions, safeguard the assets and handle settlement under its own regulatory authorization. The license permits the entity to deal in virtual assets as an agent or matching principal and to provide custody on behalf of clients.

The arrangement creates a separate operating path for spot assets within the same customer-facing application. Capital.com’s cryptocurrency contracts for difference provide exposure to price movements without transferring ownership of the underlying asset. Its planned spot service, by contrast, would place purchased virtual assets in custody for the customer. Capital Vault’s governance, custody and risk arrangements will remain separate from Capital.com’s other regulated businesses.

New Framework Broadens Federal Oversight

Capital Vault’s authorization follows the introduction of a broader federal rulebook for the sector. The CMA issued its Virtual Assets Framework in April 2026, expanding the number of regulated virtual-asset activities from three to eight. Those activities include dealing as principal or agent, custody, arranging custody, arranging investment transactions, investment advice, portfolio management and operating a multilateral trading facility.

The framework is organized into five modules covering general requirements, business conduct, alternative trading systems, compliance safeguards and prudential standards. Together, they set expectations for licensing, governance, regulatory compliance and risk management. The alternative trading-system provisions also cover conventional facilities handling securities and tokenized securities, rather than applying only to virtual-asset venues.

UAE oversight of digital assets involves both federal and emirate-level authorities. Under a 2024 cooperation agreement between the then-Securities and Commodities Authority and Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, providers operating in or serving Dubai generally require a VARA license.

Providers based in other emirates fall under the federal regulator’s licensing system, subject to the jurisdictional provisions governing financial free zones. Capital Vault UAE operates from an office in Abu Dhabi and is building a local virtual-assets team.

Capital Vault Takes on the Regulated Functions

Under its full CMA license, Capital Vault UAE can deal in virtual assets as an agent or matching principal and provide custody on behalf of clients. These permissions allow the affiliate to carry out the regulated activities required for Capital.com’s planned spot offering in the UAE.

Customers will access the service through Capital.com’s app, while Capital Vault UAE will be responsible for execution, custody and settlement. The affiliate operates under separate governance and risk arrangements, keeping the virtual-asset service distinct from Capital.com’s existing brokerage operations.

Rahul Kumar, chief executive of Capital Vault UAE, said: “The UAE is at the forefront of virtual-asset regulation in the region, and the Capital Market Authority's review process for virtual-asset licensing reflects that rigour. We have established an office in Abu Dhabi and are building a local team dedicated to virtual assets, and our presence in the UAE is pivotal to our business.”

Capital Vault Extends Its Regulatory Footprint

The UAE authorization adds another jurisdiction to Capital Vault’s digital-asset operations. Capital Vault Ltd., the group’s Cyprus-based entity, appears on the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission’s register of crypto-asset service providers with license number CASP005/25. The European authorization was issued under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework.

Operating through locally licensed entities allows the group to place spot-asset services within regulatory structures separate from Capital.com’s derivatives business. Customers may encounter both products through a single application, but the underlying transaction and asset arrangements differ: a CFD is a contract tied to an asset’s price, while a spot purchase involves acquiring the asset itself.

Capital.com has not announced when the planned UAE service will go live. The license authorizes Capital Vault UAE to deal in virtual assets and provide custody, but the company has yet to identify which assets will be available or provide further details about the service beyond buying, holding, execution, custody and settlement.