The Dubai Financial Services (DFSA) license has granted Ripple a legal license to offer regulated cryptocurrency payments and services within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
It is the first blockchain-enabled payments provider to be licensed by the DFSA and Ripple’s first license in the Middle East, as announced on March 13, 2025.
Ripple Middle East Expansion
Ripple opened a Middle Eastern headquarters in DIFC in 2020. Since then, the business has progressively been more visible; over 20% of its worldwide clientele is already located in the area.
With a $400 billion-plus worldwide trade market, the UAE also presents a strategic market for Ripple. The World Bank also estimates that the UAE’s cross-border payments market is roughly $40 billion.
Through blockchain-based solutions, the market presents Ripple with a chance to address conventional cross-border payment inefficiencies, including long payment times, expensive costs, and a lack of openness.
With its blockchain solutions, Ripple’s market opportunity is to solve the inefficiencies of traditional cross-border payments, including high fees, long settlement times, and lack of transparency.
A Ripple study further supports their ambitions, revealing that 64% of Middle East and Africa (MEA) finance leaders see faster payments and settlement times as the biggest value proposition for incorporating blockchain-based currencies into their cross-border payments business.
Furthermore, it also revealed that 82% of regional finance leaders expressed confidence in integrating blockchain solutions into their businesses.
Apart from the UAE license, it possesses more than sixty other regulatory licenses globally, including those from the Central Bank of Ireland, the New York Department of Financial Services, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Regional Attitude toward Blockchain Technology
His Excellency Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Authority, welcomed Ripple’s enhanced commitment to Dubai:
“We are thrilled that Ripple is deepening their commitment to Dubai by securing a DFSA license that makes them the first blockchain-enabled payments provider in DIFC.”
By obtaining the DFSA license, Ripple’s blockchain-powered payment solutions are positioning it to support large UAE businesses.
The XRP Ledger and its native digital asset, XRP, can enable near real-time settlement of international transactions, offering 24/7 access to cross-border payments, including weekends and holidays.
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