The United Arab Emirates has formally brought decentralized finance and Web3 platforms under regulatory supervision with the introduction of Federal Decree Law No. 6 of 2025.
Effective from September 16, the law empowers the UAE Central Bank to regulate crypto platforms, digital payments, stored value services, tokenization solutions, decentralized exchanges and other blockchain-based financial offerings. Companies must comply before the transition deadline in September 2026.
According to crypto lawyer Irina Heaver, the new rules are one of the UAE’s most significant regulatory shifts. Under the law, DeFi protocols, middleware providers and infrastructure projects must obtain licenses if they facilitate payments, trading, custody, lending or investment services. She emphasized that decentralized platforms can no longer rely on the “we’re just code” defence.
The decree includes strict penalties, with fines of up to one billion dirhams and potential criminal sanctions for operating without approval. The law does not restrict self-custody wallets, which remain fully allowed for individuals.
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