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

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/stories/kraken-parent-payward-wins-full-market-approval-from-dubai-s-vara-d4a556cd
Date: 12 Oct 2026
About: [Kraken](https://technooptimist.io/companies/kraken.md)
Original source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/kraken-receives-vara-approval-uae-expansion

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.

## Key facts

- 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.

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