ARP Digital has secured a broker-dealer license from Dubai's VARA, the emirate's virtual asset regulator. The license lets the firm offer regulated conversions of digital assets and stablecoins into UAE dirhams, and it gives the company a second regulated base in the Gulf after Bahrain.
A regulated on-ramp to dirhams
The license covers broker-dealer activities, meaning ARP Digital can act as an intermediary in digital asset trades and also convert stablecoins and other digital assets into fiat currency. The conversion into dirhams is a key part of the authorization, providing a regulated path for users to move from crypto to a national currency.
This is not a general crypto exchange license. It's specifically a broker-dealer license, which narrows the scope to intermediation and conversion services. For clients, that means a regulated route to turn digital holdings into UAE dirhams without going through an unlicensed channel.
Expanding the Gulf footprint
ARP Digital already operates in Bahrain, which has its own regulatory framework for digital assets. The Dubai license adds a second jurisdiction to the company's regional operations. It's a deliberate move to broaden its presence across the Gulf, where demand for regulated crypto services has been growing.
The license is issued by VARA, the authority responsible for overseeing virtual asset activities in Dubai. VARA has been building out its licensing regime, and this broker-dealer license is one of the specific categories it offers. For ARP Digital, the approval means it can now serve clients in Dubai under a clear set of rules.
What the license changes
Before this, ARP Digital's regulated operations were centered in Bahrain. Now, with the Dubai license, the company can offer the same kind of conversion services in the UAE. That's a practical difference for clients who want to move digital assets into dirhams within a regulated environment.
The company hasn't said when it will start offering the service in Dubai, but the license is in hand. The next step is operational — setting up the actual conversion service and making it available to clients. For now, the key fact is that ARP Digital has the regulatory green light to do this in Dubai, and that's a concrete expansion of its Gulf business.
