Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority has issued an in-principle approval to French fintech Vancelian, registered in the UAE as Automata FZE, for management and investment, lending and borrowing, advisory, and crypto broker-dealer licenses. Vancelian manages 100 million Euros, has paid 7 million Euros in interest, and offers products such as a crypto basket, Bitcoin-backed loans with a 10% average fixed annual return, and real estate co-financing projects in Bali and Dubai.

On December 8, 2025, UAE Islamic bank ruya enabled Bitcoin trading in its mobile app through a partnership with UAE‑regulated digital asset infrastructure provider Fuze. The bank positions the service as Shari'ah‑compliant and says it is the first Islamic bank in the UAE to allow customers to buy and sell Bitcoin directly. The launch comes amid rising crypto inflows into the UAE and alongside initiatives such as Mashreq Capital's BITMAC fund, which includes Bitcoin exposure.