Overview
- CoinMENA has confirmed a banking agreement with Standard Chartered to provide UAE fiat on‑ramps and off‑ramps, safeguarded client money accounts, and virtual account transaction management for its exchange.
- Revolut announced it received Central Bank of the UAE Stored Value Facilities and Retail Payment Services licences and is building local multi‑currency accounts, cards and payment features before a full launch.
- Standard Chartered’s UAE chief Rola Abu Manneh said the bank views the UAE as a leading regulatory environment for digital assets and that trusted banking infrastructure will remain essential as the sector grows.
- Together these deals show a market shift from crypto‑native payment rails toward mainstream banking connections and regulated stablecoin settlement rails to enable faster funding and institutional flows.
- The developments follow the UAE’s segmented licensing model for virtual assets, payment tokens, retail payments and stored value, which raises the bar on compliance and gives customers clearer safeguards and faster access to local currency services.