In a breakthrough, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre’s (DMCC) Crypto Centre now accommodates over 700 native crypto member companies with a 38% year-on-year increase. This staggering increase marks the growth of the crypto, blockchain, and Web3 sectors in the emirate. Additionally, the strong number of crypto companies within the Crypto Centre contributes to the total number of tech companies, to 3,300 in the district (free zone).
Besides cryptocurrency, DMCC has seventeen other ecosystems, including AI, gaming, tech, e-commerce, wealth management, energy, and more. According to Dubai Media Office, DMCC is now home to almost 26,000 companies, with 1,100 new businesses in Q1 of 2025.
Dubai experiences increased crypto licenses and partnerships
With the increasing Web3 and AI revolution in the UAE, Dubai is heading for unprecedented growth, adopting the technology across various industries. Bitcoin.com, a self-custodial products offering and news service platform, is the latest entrant in the Crypto Centre. Crypto exchange ByBit has also become DMCC’s ecosystem partner, promising AED 500,000 as financial support for new crypto companies flowing to the Crypto Centre.
Several collaborative initiatives between the government and crypto platforms have also sparked the momentum for the growth of crypto in the country. In May 2025, Dubai Land Department (DLD) and Prypco Mint collectively issued the first tokenized real estate deed, turbocharging the real estate sector. DLD has also teamed up with crypto exchange Crypto.com to develop blockchain technology in digital real estate assets.
Last week, Laser Digital, a subsidiary of Japan’s financial service group, Nomura, secured the first over-the-counter (OTC) license from the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA).
In an interview with Altcoin Desk, Belal Jassoma, Director of Ecosystems at DMCC, said that Dubai’s “stable regulatory framework” (VARA) makes Dubai attractive for crypto investors. The UAE’s crypto sector is experiencing more investor flow, with youngster-led accounts becoming dominant, according to research by Dubai-based blockchain company, Mining Grid.
