Overview
- Capital Vault UAE received a federal virtual-asset licence from the UAE Capital Market Authority on Aug. 21 that authorises dealing, matching and custody for virtual assets.
- The licence permits execution, settlement and holding of customer-owned cryptocurrencies, allowing Capital.com to move beyond CFD exposure to offer direct ownership to eligible UAE users.
- Spot trading and custody will be run through Capital Vault as a distinct regulated affiliate with separate governance, risk controls and local staff in an Abu Dhabi office, while CFDs remain in Capital.com's existing brokerage business.
- Capital.com has not disclosed the service launch date, which tokens will be supported, fee schedules, custody architecture, or how deposits, withdrawals and transfers will work, so the customer experience and risk profile remain unclear.
- The approval follows the UAE’s April 2026 federal virtual-asset framework and mirrors Capital Vault’s MiCA-aligned EU setup, a development that expands regulated local access to spot crypto and raises the importance of custody, withdrawal rules and insurance for retail users.