Ripple Bags In-Principle Approval for Payment Services in the UAE

Ripple bags preliminary approval for financial licensing in the UAE, expanding its scope of services.

Hand releasing XRP coins into the Dubai skyline.
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  • Ripple has secured strategic regulatory authorization in Dubai.
  • The development enabled the company to expand its scope of services.
  • It also put Ripple on track to become the UAE’s first licensed blockchain-based payments company.

Digital asset infrastructure company Ripple has secured in-principle approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to expand the scope of its services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The development marks a pivotal moment for Ripple following the establishment of its regional headquarters in Dubai in 2020. It underscores the companyโ€™s strategy to strengthen its presence in the Middle East region, which has recently emerged as a new hotbed for crypto adoption.

Rippleโ€™s Regulatory Win in Dubai

In a press release on October 1, Ripple said DFSAโ€™s in-principle approval enabled it to provide seamless cross-border payment services, including Ripple Payments Direct (RPD), from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

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The company is also keen to introduce its enterprise-grade crypto infrastructure to a broader customer base in the UAE, furthering its mission of providing businesses with critical payment solution components, such as liquidity, custody, and on/off-ramps between fiat and digital assets.

With the preliminary authorization, Ripple has inched closer to becoming the first blockchain-based payment services provider by the DFSA, the independent regulator of financial services conducted at the DIFC.

Reece Merrick, Rippleโ€™s Managing Director for Middle East and Africa, noted that the authorization positioned the company to support the UAEโ€™s vision to become a global crypto and fintech hub through institutional adoption of blockchain technology.

โ€œOver 20% of Rippleโ€™s global customer base is located in the UAE and as we continue to extend our operations and services, we are fulfilling the growing demand for more efficient and cost-effective cross-border payment solutions,โ€ Merrick stated.

The win furthers Rippleโ€™s regulatory compliance momentum, adding to the company’s over 55 licenses globally. This includes authorizations from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), and the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).

Stay updated on how Ripple minted 99% of its new stablecoin in one day:
Ripple Mints 99% of RLUSD Stablecoin in One Dayโ€”Whatโ€™s Next?

Read about Bybitโ€™s recent regulatory win in Kazakhstan:
Bybit Secures Kazakhstanโ€™s Full Crypto License

This article is for information purposes only and should not be considered trading or investment advice. Nothing herein shall be construed as financial, legal, or tax advice. Trading forex, cryptocurrencies, and CFDs pose a considerable risk of loss.

Author
Brian Danga

Brian Danga is a crypto reporter at DailyCoin covering breaking news. Brian has minor holdings in Bitcoin and Ethereum.

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