Kraken parent Payward wins full market approval from Dubai's VARA

Kraken

Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority granted full market approval to Payward FZCO, the UAE entity of Kraken's parent Payward, building on a preliminary approval from May 2026. Kraken plans to launch its UAE services in the coming weeks.

• VARA's public register shows the virtual asset service provider licence was issued on October 6, 2026; it covers management and investment services and broker-dealer services.
• Launch services include spot and margin trading in UAE dirham pairs, offered to retail, professional and institutional clients.
• The article does not clearly describe the deposit and withdrawal scope and does not mention staking.
• No launch date beyond 'the coming weeks' was given, and no fees or country-level restrictions were described.
• VARA's register lists 58 licensed providers, up from 49 active companies in May 2026.