Tag Archives: blockchain regulation

The United Arab Emirates is accelerating its transition from blockchain experimentation to institutional implementation, positioning itself as a global center for tokenized financial infrastructure. Supported by regulatory oversight from Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, the UAE has developed a structured framework for digital asset issuance, custody, and trading. By 2026, the ecosystem will include regulated exchanges, custodians, and tokenization platforms backed by more than US $2.5 trillion in regional sovereign and quasi-sovereign assets under management. Global firms such as ADDX, Atlas Merchant Capital, DigiFT, M2, and Securitize are expanding operations within the jurisdiction.

European crypto markets entered a new regulatory phase on January 1, 2026, as the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework and the EU’s DAC8 came into force. These rules require crypto exchanges and custodians to report granular transaction data, tax residency, and cross-border activity to authorities. For regulated crypto-asset service providers, the change represents a structural shift rather than a simple tax update. Compliance costs are rising, smaller platforms face pressure, and institutional participation is expected to increase as regulatory clarity improves. The era of practical anonymity in European crypto markets has effectively ended.