Capital.com, a trading platform known for contracts for difference offerings, is preparing to introduce spot cryptocurrency services for clients in the United Arab Emirates. The move follows approval of a virtual asset license for its affiliate, Capital Vault, granted by the UAE Capital Market Authority.

The license authorizes Capital Vault to deal in virtual assets as an agent or matching principal and to provide custody services on behalf of clients. Once operational, eligible UAE customers will be able to purchase and hold actual cryptocurrencies through the Capital.com application. Capital Vault will manage trade execution, custody and settlement for these services.

Difference From Existing CFD Products

Capital.com currently offers cryptocurrency exposure through contracts for difference in supported markets. These products track price movements without transferring ownership of the underlying assets to the client. The planned spot service changes that model. Customers will acquire crypto assets held via Capital Vault rather than entering derivative contracts based solely on price performance.

This structure requires dedicated custody and settlement arrangements. Spot holdings carry the usual market risks of value fluctuations, along with dependence on the custody provider’s operational and security procedures. Capital.com has not yet published detailed customer terms for the UAE offering.

Separate Entity and Local Presence

Capital Vault functions as an independent regulated entity. Its governance, custody arrangements and risk management systems remain distinct from Capital.com’s other business lines. The affiliate has established an office in Abu Dhabi and is assembling a local virtual asset team to support operations in the region.

Capital.com already maintains a separate UAE brokerage entity, Capital Com MENA Securities Trading, licensed by the Capital Market Authority for existing financial services. The new virtual asset authorization operates under the federal CMA framework rather than free-zone regimes such as those in Abu Dhabi Global Market or Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.

Capital Vault also holds European authorization. Cyprus records list it as an authorized crypto-asset service provider under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets rules, covering custody, exchange, order execution and transfer services. The Cyprus and UAE entities remain subject to their respective local requirements.

Regulatory Framework Expansion

The approval follows the Capital Market Authority’s introduction of an updated virtual asset regulatory framework in April 2026. That framework expanded the number of regulated activities from three to eight. It covers dealing, brokerage, custody, portfolio management, transfer services and alternative trading systems. Additional standards address business conduct, capital requirements, governance and anti-money laundering controls.

The rules create a federal pathway for firms operating outside the UAE’s financial free zones. Capital Vault’s license provides Capital.com a route to add direct asset ownership alongside its established leveraged trading activities.

Other firms have also expanded regulated digital asset activities in the UAE under various licensing regimes. Capital.com must still complete its product development and operational preparations before the spot service becomes available to clients.