Crypto.com Granted In-Principle Approval to Settle Dubai Government Payments in Stablecoins
Crypto.com has received In-Principle Approval from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates to operate under a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license. It brings the exchange a step closer to processing stablecoin and dirham payments for Dubai government services.
The approval, which was granted to Foris DAX Middle East FZ-LLC, allows the exchange to expand into regulated digital payments in the region once final authorization is granted.
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Central Bank-Licensed Digital Wallet
According to the company, residents will be able to pay Dubai government fees using digital assets held on Crypto.com’s platform. The service will convert the assets into UAE dirhams (AED) during checkout and settle transactions via a Central Bank-licensed digital wallet. Government departments will receive funds in dirhams or dirham-pegged stablecoins.
“Increasing everyday utility of digital assets is central to our vision at Crypto.com,” commented Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com Group. “This latest regulatory milestone is a testament to both our commitment to responsible innovation, as well as to the UAE for seeing the promise of regulated digital commerce.”Eric Anziani, Source: LinkedIn
Once full approval is granted, the company will reportedly facilitate crypto-to-fiat payments within a Central Bank-regulated framework—marking one of the first large-scale integrations of digital assets into public service payments in the Gulf.
The system reportedly enables users to pay government fees using any digital assets held on Crypto.com’s platform. During checkout, the platform converts the crypto holdings into UAE dirhams and completes the transaction using a Central Bank-licensed digital wallet.
According to the firm, Dubai government departments will receive the settlement directly in dirhams or stablecoins pegged to the local currency, ensuring no volatility exposure during the transaction.
Regulatory Oversight and Compliance
Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority already oversees trading and custody activity, while the Central Bank now oversees digital payment mechanisms through SVF licensing.Crypto.com’s progress suggests that government-linked payment use cases for stablecoins may soon be enabled.
Keep reading: New CFTC License Will Allow Crypto.com to Offer Margin Derivatives in the US
Crypto.com has been aggressively expanding its operations globally. Last month, the crypto firm announced that it had secured U.S. regulatory approval to offer margined derivatives trading on cryptocurrencies and other asset classes.
The approval followed an amendment to the company’s designated contract market license, allowing its U.S. affiliate, Crypto.com Derivatives North America, to operate a full suite of Commodity Futures Trading Commission derivatives licenses.
Additionally, the exchange is focusing on boosting its institutional offerings. Recently, multi-asset wallet firm Exodus Movement partnered with Crypto.com Custody Trust Company to manage a portion of its digital assets. The collaboration aims to introduce additional security layers and regulatory oversight to complement Exodus’ existing self-custody infrastructure.