finpeel Answers · UAE · updated 2026-08-14

Do I need a licence to issue a stablecoin in the UAE?

Yes, if the token is a regulated Payment Token and you issue it within the CBUAE perimeter. The CBUAE Payment Token Services Regulation creates a Payment Token Issuing licence for eligible Dirham Payment Tokens, while foreign-currency payment-token issuers use the separate foreign issuer registration route where applicable.

Do not treat every blockchain token called a stablecoin as the same legal product. The regulatory outcome depends on whether it is used as a means of payment, its denomination, the issuer location and whether another UAE virtual-asset or capital-markets regime applies.

If the product is intended for payments, map issuance, redemption, reserves, custody, conversion and distribution separately. A VARA or other virtual-asset permission should not be assumed to replace a CBUAE payment-token permission.

Regulator: Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE)

Primary sources: CBUAE — Payment Token Services Regulation

Directional — not legal advice. Verify with the regulator before committing.

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