Payward, the parent company of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, has secured full regulatory approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. The licence permits the platform to prepare services for retail, professional, and institutional investors in the UAE, including direct dirham trading and deposits. Payward expects to roll out local operations in the coming weeks following preliminary approval received in May.
An updated advisory outlines that UAE 10-year Golden Visa eligibility requires a minimum Dh2 million investment, excluding standalone cryptocurrency holdings. Simultaneously, Dubai is hosting over 500 global investment leaders at the SuperReturn Middle East conference to discuss cross-border capital reallocation and Asian corridors. Additional recent federal measures include a Dh292.5 billion three-year budget and industrial property fee exemptions.
Chinese investment banks and securities brokerages are expanding their presence in the Gulf by setting up offices in the Dubai International Financial Centre. Beijing-based China Securities established a regional DIFC office covering equity, debt, investment banking, and asset management, following a prior move by CICC.
Institutional investors, sovereign wealth fund directors, and government officials will gather in Dubai on 14 October 2026 for the inaugural RISE Summit. The event will focus on shifting trade corridors, cross-border capital flows, and asset redeployment connecting Asia, Europe, and the Gulf. It follows key economic benchmarks, including DIFC exceeding 10,000 active registered companies in the first half of 2026.
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