Trading platform and contracts for difference broker Capital.com plans to introduce spot cryptocurrency services to clients in the United Arab Emirates. The expansion follows an announcement that its affiliate, Capital Vault, has secured a virtual-asset license from the country's Capital Market Authority.
According to the announcement, the regulatory approval allows Capital Vault to deal in virtual assets as an agent or matching principal and to provide custody services on behalf of clients.
When the service launches, UAE-based clients will be able to purchase and hold actual cryptocurrencies directly through the Capital.com application. Capital Vault will handle execution, custody, and settlement. This offering differs from Capital.com's existing contracts for difference, which give traders price exposure without providing ownership of the underlying assets.
Capital Vault functions as a separate regulated entity with its own governance, custody, and risk management arrangements isolated from Capital.com's other business operations. The affiliate has established an office in Abu Dhabi and is actively assembling a local virtual-asset team.
The licensing approval comes on the heels of the Capital Market Authority introducing a comprehensive virtual-asset regulatory framework in April. That framework expanded the scope of regulated activities from three to eight and established strict standards covering business conduct, alternative trading systems, anti-money laundering controls, and prudential requirements.
