Capital.com has announced plans to offer virtual asset investment services to clients in the United Arab Emirates after its affiliate, Capital Vault Virtual Services L.L.C. - S.P.C. (Capital Vault UAE), received a licence from the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the UAE's federal virtual asset regulator.
The licence allows Capital Vault UAE to deal in virtual assets as an agent or matching principal and to provide custody services for clients. Capital Vault UAE is among the first firms licensed under the CMA's virtual asset framework, with the regulated services set to be made available to Capital.com clients in the UAE.
Once launched, UAE clients will be able to buy virtual assets through the Capital.com app. The assets will be held under the client-asset rules applicable to a CMA-licensed custodian, with Capital Vault providing execution, custody and settlement services under its licence. The company operates from an office in Abu Dhabi.
Rahul Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Capital Vault UAE, said: “The UAE is at the forefront of virtual-asset regulation in the region, and the Capital Market Authority's review process for virtual-asset licensing reflects that rigour.”
Tarik Chebib, Chief Executive Officer MENA at Capital.com, added: “Capital.com clients across the region have been asking for a straightforward, regulated way to buy and hold virtual-assets alongside the markets they already trade. This licence lets us bring that to clients in the UAE.”
The UAE expansion follows Capital Vault Europe's authorisation under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework in December 2025, when it was among the first group of firms approved as crypto-asset service providers. Capital Vault operates as a separate regulated entity focused on virtual assets, with its governance, custody and risk arrangements kept separate from Capital.com's other regulated businesses. Additional virtual asset products are expected to be announced in the future.
