UAE

UAE police say they recovered the bodies of Russian crypto blogger Roman Novak and his wife in a case described as an alleged kidnapping, torture and murder tied to cryptocurrency disputes. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation as inquiries continue.

A new UAE banking decree formally folds crypto and blockchain into the regulated financial system, placing digital assets under Central Bank oversight. The move is designed to boost market certainty and attract institutional business.

Federal Decree Law No. 6 expands the UAE central bank's authority over DeFi and Web3, removes the “just code” defense, and introduces penalties of up to $272 million. The move raises enforcement and compliance risks for developers and protocol operators.

The UAE, represented by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Central Bank of the UAE, completed the first cross‑border CBDC payment to China using the mBridge (Jisr) network. The transaction marks an early interoperability milestone for central bank digital currencies.

Zand Bank has received regulatory clearance from the Central Bank of the UAE to issue a dirham‑backed stablecoin that will operate across multiple blockchains. The approval underscores growing official support for tokenized fiat in the UAE and could expand on‑chain payment and liquidity options.

Zand has launched a UAE Central Bank-regulated, AED-backed stablecoin that operates across multiple public blockchains. The AI-powered digital bank is the second UAE-regulated bank to issue a dirham stablecoin.

UAE authorities confirmed on Nov. 14, 2025 that Bitcoin is not banned; residents can buy, hold and trade BTC while crypto businesses must obtain licenses. The statement aims to correct earlier misreporting and reduce market confusion.