Dubai Updates Crypto Token Regulatory Framework, Shifts Responsibility to Licensed Firms

According to Cointelegraph, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has implemented significant changes to its Crypto Token Regulatory Framework, transferring the responsibility for assessing crypto token suitability from the regulator to licensed companies within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). This update, effective from Monday, requires financial service providers dealing with crypto tokens to evaluate whether the tokens they handle meet the DFSA's suitability standards. Consequently, the DFSA will no longer maintain or publish a list of recognized crypto tokens. This regulatory shift follows a consultation process initiated in October 2025 and marks a change in the DFSA's approach since the introduction of its crypto token regime in 2022. The DFSA has been actively monitoring developments and engaging with stakeholders to ensure the framework aligns with global standards. Charlotte Robins, managing director of policy and legal at the DFSA, stated that the changes represent a move towards a more flexible and principles-based model, reflecting the DFSA's progressive stance on innovation and market feedback. The updated framework does not explicitly ban any specific category of digital assets by name. However, it reallocates the responsibility for assessing token suitability to licensed firms within the DIFC. Although there is no explicit ban, privacy-focused tokens such as Monero (XMR) and Zcash (ZEC) may face increased scrutiny under the new framework. Internal compliance teams might consider these tokens higher risk, prompting firms to apply stricter due diligence standards or avoid supporting them altogether. This change underscores a key jurisdictional distinction, as the DFSA regulates financial services within the DIFC, which operates under a common-law framework separate from Dubai's onshore regulatory regime. Other jurisdictions in Dubai and the UAE are governed by different crypto regulators with their own rulebooks. The DFSA's principles-based approach contrasts with the stance taken elsewhere in Dubai. As reported by Cointelegraph in February 2023, the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) introduced an explicit ban on privacy coins under its Virtual Assets and Related Activities Regulations 2023. VARA's rules prohibit the issuance of "anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies" and all related virtual asset activities within its jurisdiction, covering most of Dubai outside the DIFC. Across the wider UAE, crypto regulation remains fragmented. Abu Dhabi's regulator, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), adopts a conservative, risk-based approach without an outright ban, while federal regulators emphasize anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing compliance. Consequently, privacy-focused crypto assets are not uniformly illegal across the UAE, but their treatment varies significantly by jurisdiction.