Capital.com disclosed that the associated company Capital Vault had obtained a virtual asset licence issued by the Emirates Capital Market Authority and was preparing to launch a local encryption spot service. Once the service is online, eligible clients can buy and hold encrypted assets directly through the application and no longer simply obtain price exposures.

License covers transactions and hosting

The bulletin indicated that the licence covered virtual asset transactions, matchmaking, hosting, execution and settlement operations. Capital Vaul will operate as an independent regulated entity responsible for the execution of related transactions, asset hosting and settlement arrangements.

The company has not yet disclosed the specific time of access or the first supporting currency, transaction costs and minimum account opening requirements. The availability of different products will also depend on client qualifications and local regulatory conditions.

Distinction from existing CFC operations

Capital.com currently provides a contract product for encrypted assets in some jurisdictions. Such products track price changes, but the customer does not actually hold the underlying encrypted assets.

The proposed off-the-shelf services have changed this structure. Clients will hold real encrypted assets through CapitalVault, rather than entering into derivative contracts with the platform that reflect price fluctuations only. This also means that operations need to be accompanied by hosting, clearing and pass-through processes.

  • CFCD provides price openings without transferring ownership of assets
  • The spot service involves real holding and hosting arrangements
  • Client-specific clauses are not currently published

UAE operations will be operated separately.

The company disclosed that the governance, hosting and risk management arrangements for Capital Vault would be separated from other regulated operations.com. The company has established an office in Abu Dhabi and is in the process of forming a local digital asset operations team, without disclosing the size of the recruitment and investment.

Capital.com also states that Capital Vault holds licences from the United Arab Emirates Capital Markets Authority at the federal level, unlike the Abu Dhabi Global Market or the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority's respective licensing systems. Its European entity had previously acquired the status of provider of encrypted assets in Cyprus.

The United Arab Emirates federal framework extends its scope of regulation

The Emirates Capital Markets Authority updated the virtual asset regulatory framework in April 2026, expanding the regulated activities from 3 to 8 categories, covering transactions, brokering, trusteeship, portfolio management, transfer services and alternative trading systems.

The federal framework provides a compliance path for companies outside the scope of the Emirates' Financial Free Zone and Dubai VRA. In the case of Capital.com, this means that there is an opportunity for off-the-shelf holding and hosting services in addition to the leverage transaction.

Additional information:Capital.com The existing United Arab Emirates securities business is operated by another entity, Capital Com MENA Security Trading, which discloses that it holds a local financial services licence number 2020000176.