Kraken parent company completes final step in Dubai and is about to launch dirham deal

Payward 获迪拜监管批准，Kraken 即将在阿联酋推出全牌照加密服务

Kraken 的母公司 Payward 已获得迪拜监管机构的全牌照批准，正式将完全合规的加密货币服务引入阿拉伯联合酋长国（UAE）。迪拜虚拟资产管理局（VARA）向 Payward FZCO 颁发了许可证，允许其在当地许可框架下提供加密服务。这一举措为 Kraken 在阿联酋范围内的更广泛业务拓展扫清了障碍，其覆盖范围将超越此前有限的运营状态。

Payward 表示，在正式上线时，阿联酋的 Kraken 客户将能够使用以阿联酋迪拉姆（AED）计价的交易对进行现货和保证金交易，并直接以迪拉姆形式提取资金。公司计划在未来几周内启动这项服务。

核心要点摘要

• VARA 批准：Payward FZCO 于 10 月 6 日获得虚拟资产服务提供商（VASP）牌照，获准在迪拜提供虚拟资产服务。
• 上线初期功能：阿联酋用户将能够访问迪拉姆计价的现货和保证金交易，并进行直接的迪拉姆提现。
• 零售与机构全覆盖：Payward 指出，该批准涵盖向零售投资者、专业投资者以及机构投资者提供服务。
• 许可进展：此次行动紧随 Payward 在 2026 年 5 月获得的 VARA 初步批准之后。

VARA license paves the way for Payward FZCO

According to VARA's public register, regulators issued Payward FZCO a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license on October 6. Registration information shows that the license enables Payward FZCO to provide asset management, investment services, and broker-dealer services.

Payward stated that this approval expands its services to enable it to serve a wide range of customer groups, from ordinary retail users to professional and institutional investors. The company also positioned the authorization as the last step in operating more directly under Dubai's virtual asset regulatory system.

The regulatory grant builds on previous milestones: Payward received preliminary approval as early as May 2026, indicating that VARA had in-depth engagement and evaluation with the company before authorizing full operations.

Services to be received by Kraken customers in United Arab Emirates

In the announcement, Payward stated that Kraken's initial services in the United Arab Emirates will include spot trading and margin trading using dirh-denominated trading pairs. In addition, the platform also emphasizes the direct deposit and withdrawal function, allowing customers to directly withdraw United Arab Emirates dirhams without relying on third-party routing.

This shift is significant for users because it aligns account deposits and withdrawals with local fiat currency-which can reduce the friction faced by customers who prefer to use their own currency to interact with the crypto market. For traders, the availability of Dirham quote trading pairs also helps better manage exposure and risk, especially when margin trading is involved.

Payward did not provide more product details in the announcement, but made it clear that it expected to go online in the "next few weeks," emphasizing near-term market availability rather than a distant roadmap.

Dubai's VASP licensing market continues to expand

As of the time of report, VARA's public register listed 58 licensed providers, an increase from 49 active companies in May 2026. The increase highlights the continued widening of Dubai's licensing pipeline as companies meet regulatory requirements.

In practice, more licensed providers may translate into stronger competition for liquidity, custody and execution quality, and deposit and deposit services. This may also help customers find multiple regulated ways to enter the crypto market-especially when exchanges and trading platforms emphasize fiat channels and local currency transfers.

Payward's approval also places Kraken's United Arab Emirates plan within the broader regulatory ecosystem: Other companies are seeking approval under different United Arab Emirates regulatory frameworks, indicating that a market is emerging where compliance paths are diversified rather than single.

Banking and trading platforms accelerate under United Arab Emirates rules

The pace of expansion of regulated crypto business in United Arab Emirates is not limited to exchange licensing. Previous reports have mentioned that Standard Chartered, under its Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) branch, provides spot trading services for Bitcoin and Ethereum to institutional customers through the supervision of the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).

Meanwhile, trading platform Capital.com said it will provide spot encryption services to United Arab Emirates customers after its subsidiary Capital Vault obtains a virtual asset license issued by the country's Capital Markets Authority (CMA). The fact that approvals exist under both the VARA and CMA frameworks shows that different types of financial intermediaries are looking for ways to provide crypto exposure based on the scope of their licenses.

While these developments involve different regulators and business models, they together strengthen the United Arab Emirates approach to expanding crypto access under clear supervision-an approach that may affect the speed at which institutions and large counterparties consider integrating crypto transactions into existing workflows.

As Payward aims to launch its United Arab Emirates operations in the coming weeks, investors and users should pay close attention to the exact timing of Kraken's official launch, the specific dirh-denominated spot and margin trading pairs initially available, and whether the product portfolio will expand after the first phase. There is still uncertainty about how quickly liquidity and customer account opening size will increase after VARA's full approval.