Cryptocurrency firms are expanding their regulatory footprints in the Middle East and Asia. Capital.com affiliate Capital Vault has secured a virtual-asset license from the United Arab Emirates' Capital Market Authority under a newly expanded framework. Meanwhile, BitGo Korea has obtained virtual asset service provider status from South Korea's Financial Intelligence Unit, becoming the first foreign player to do so. Backed by local partners Hana Financial Group and SK Telecom, BitGo establishes a direct local entity rather than acquiring an existing operator.
Capital Vault UAE license
- ▪Capital.com affiliate Capital Vault secured a virtual-asset license from the United Arab Emirates' Capital Market Authority to deal in virtual assets as an agent or matching principal and provide custody.
- ▪Capital Vault has opened an office in Abu Dhabi and is building a local virtual-asset team.
- ▪Capital Vault operates as a separate regulated entity with its governance, custody, and risk arrangements separated from Capital.com's other businesses.
- ▪Once Capital Vault's service goes live, United Arab Emirates clients will be able to buy and hold actual cryptocurrency through the Capital.com application.
BitGo Korea VASP registration
- ▪The Financial Intelligence Unit's approval allows BitGo Korea to provide services including virtual asset transfers, custody, and management in South Korea.
- ▪BitGo Korea, the local unit of global digital asset infrastructure company BitGo, received approval from South Korea's Financial Intelligence Unit to operate as a virtual asset service provider.
UAE virtual-asset regulatory framework
- ▪The United Arab Emirates' Capital Market Authority introduced a virtual-asset regulatory framework in April 2026 that expanded the number of regulated activities from three to eight.
- ▪The United Arab Emirates' virtual-asset regulatory framework established requirements covering business conduct, alternative trading systems, anti-money laundering controls, and prudential standards.
Foreign VASP entry model
- ▪BitGo Korea CEO Chen Fang stated that the company's registration will serve as a model for regulatory compliance and accountability for foreign companies entering the South Korean market.
- ▪BitGo Korea is the first foreign digital asset company to receive approval from South Korean regulators to operate as a virtual asset service provider.
Hana Financial BitGo stake
- ▪Hana Financial Group and SK Telecom formed strategic partnerships with BitGo in conjunction with their equity acquisitions in BitGo Korea.
- ▪Hana Financial Group and SK Telecom are major shareholders in BitGo Korea, having acquired stakes of 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
Local entity establishment strategy
- ▪Most foreign virtual asset companies entering South Korea opt to acquire an existing local operator with a license rather than establishing a new local entity.
- ▪BitGo Korea CEO Chen Fang stated that validating technology and systems within South Korea's regulatory framework is essential for global companies seeking long-term local operations.
- ▪BitGo established a new local entity, BitGo Korea, to bring its global technology and systems directly to the South Korean market.
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