Bybit Wins Historic SCA License, Eyes Abu Dhabi as Regional Crypto Hub

Bybit has taken a major step into the UAE’s regulated crypto market, announcing on Oct. 9, 2025, that it has secured the Securities and Commodities Authority’s (SCA) Virtual Asset Platform Operator License, the first full SCA license awarded to a cryptocurrency exchange. The milestone allows Bybit to bring its full suite of global products and services into compliance with the UAE’s federal regulatory framework and signals a vote of confidence from regulators in the exchange’s security and governance systems.

Under the terms of the license, Bybit will be able to offer regulated virtual asset trading, brokerage, custody and fiat conversion services to both retail and institutional clients across the UAE. The SCA’s authorization applies on the mainland and therefore has a different jurisdictional scope than Dubai’s VARA regime, giving Bybit the ability to operate under the UAE’s federal framework.

Bybit’s path to full licensure began earlier in 2025 when the exchange received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the SCA in February, a process it navigated with support from Abu Dhabi’s Blockchain Centre. That earlier approval, announced in February, paved the way for the regulator’s deeper review of Bybit’s security infrastructure, transparency measures and compliance programs, culminating in the full license this week.

The exchange said it will expand its local footprint in the UAE, establishing a larger regional operations centre in Abu Dhabi and aiming to scale to more than 500 employees across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Bybit plans to accelerate local hiring in compliance, operations and customer support, and to roll out education and Web3 innovation programs in partnership with local institutions, a clear signal that the company intends to be a long-term participant in the Emirates’ digital asset ecosystem.

Bybit’s Unwavering Commitment

Bybit’s entry into the UAE under an SCA licence follows a busy regulatory year for the exchange. In May, the firm secured a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCAR) authorization in Europe, and in September, it resumed full trading operations in India after addressing local compliance requirements. The company frames these approvals as part of a “compliance-first” global roadmap designed to enable sustainable growth across major markets.

Ben Zhou, Bybit’s co-founder and CEO, said the SCA license “is a testament to Bybit’s unwavering commitment to building trust through compliance and transparency,” and described regulation as “the foundation for sustainable growth” as the exchange expands its regulated footprint from Europe to India and now the UAE. Helen Liu, Co-CEO, thanked the SCA for its “clear, robust, and well-structured regulatory framework” and said Bybit looks forward to deepening collaboration while bringing more resources and expertise to the UAE market.

For the UAE, the licensing of a major global exchange like Bybit is further evidence of the country’s push to position itself as a global hub for digital assets and financial innovation. Regulators across the Emirates have pursued complementary frameworks this year, from the federal SCA rules to Dubai’s VARA regime, and Bybit’s license shows how international platforms are choosing to engage with the region’s evolving regulatory landscape.

As Bybit moves to operationalize its licensed activities, the exchange’s investments in talent, technology and local partnerships will be watched closely by customers and regulators alike. For a market still defining how best to balance innovation with oversight, the arrival of a fully licensed global exchange on the UAE mainland will be an important test of the country’s ambitions to attract regulated digital-asset businesses.