Dubai Gold Authority's New Cryptocurrency Regulations in Effect, Shifting Token Suitability Assessment Responsibility to Licensed Firms

On January 12, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) officially rolled out a major update to its cryptocurrency token regulatory framework—shifting responsibility for token applicability assessments from the regulator to licensed firms operating in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The revised rules, which took effect this Monday, require financial services firms handling crypto tokens to self-assess whether the tokens they deal in meet the DFSA’s applicability criteria. The DFSA will also stop maintaining or publishing a list of recognized crypto tokens as part of the changes. The update comes after a consultation launched in October 2025, marking a shift in regulatory approach from when crypto token rules were first introduced in 2022. The DFSA noted it has closely tracked market developments and engaged with stakeholders to align with global standards over this period. The DFSA’s updated framework does not explicitly ban any specific category of digital assets. That said, the revisions move responsibility for token applicability assessments from the regulator to licensed DIFC firms. While there are no explicit bans, privacy-focused tokens like Monero and Zcash could face heightened scrutiny under the new framework. Internal compliance teams may view some privacy coins as high-risk, leading firms to either impose stricter due diligence or avoid supporting them entirely.