Nod for stablecoins USDC and EURC to accelerate UAE's emergence as a crypto powerhouse, say experts

Arabian Business

05-03-2025

Dubai Financial Services Authority's (DFSA) move to approve Circle Internet Group's stablecoins USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin (EURC) as recognised crypto tokens within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) will be a game changer for crypto adoption in the UAE as it offers businesses efficient, compliant tools for digital finance, sector experts said.
The move will also potentially accelerate the region's emergence as a crypto powerhouse, besides posing a challenge to Tether's USDT dominance, leading to reshaping the over $200 billion stablecoin market globally, they said.
The US-based stablecoins market leader Circle said with the DFSA approval last week – February 24 – financial institutions and fintechs operating in the DIFC can integrate USDC and EURC into their digital asset services, payments, treasury management, and a range of other financial applications.
USDC is a cryptocurrency stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, while EURC is a euro-backed stablecoin.
The DFSA's decision will enable over 6,000 DIFC firms to use these stablecoins for payments and treasury functions legally.
'The approval of USDC and EURC as the first stablecoins under Dubai's new crypto framework positions Dubai as a blockchain innovation hub,' Ryan Lee, Chief Analyst at Bitget Research, told Arabian Business.
'For crypto adoption, it's a game-changer in the UAE – already third globally in adoption,' he said.
Lee said this move enhances trust in stablecoins amid regional volatility, besides boosting Circle's competitive stance against Tether's USDT dominance.
Dr. Mohamed Damak, Managing Director and Financial Institutions Sector Lead, S&P Global Ratings, said they expect that the role of stablecoins will continue to evolve and could eventually lead to more integration between traditional finance and decentralised finance.
'For example, [there could be more integration] in the case of cross-border payments, the tokenisation of real-world assets (RWA), or the issuance of digital bonds,' Damak told Arabian Business.
DIFC's stablecoin integration move
Damak said the approval allows financial institutions and fintech firms in the DIFC to use USDC and EURC in their services for payment, treasury management, etc., potentially resulting in an increase of the adoption of USDC and EURC by DIFC-based entities.
He, however, pointed out that while EURC is regulated in Europe under MiCA (Market in Crypto Assets regulation), there is no regulatory framework at the federal level in the US, though the momentum around that is building with three proposals under consideration currently.
In an Executive Order in January, President Donald Trump outlined the new US administration's focus on developing privately issued regulated stablecoins, rather than a central bank digital currency (CBDC).
'In our view, once a regulation is approved in the US, the use of stablecoins in regulated financial market applications such as digital bonds and tokenised money market funds has the potential to scale.
'In this context, the implementation of the necessary regulations, including the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the regulation of stablecoins by the central bank and by DFSA in DIFC and FSRA in ADGM and crypto-friendly free zones could enhance market conditions for investors,' the S&P Global Ratings senior executive said.
Karl Naïm, Global Head of BD & GM Middle East at XBTO Middle East, a leading digital asset firm, said though the DFSA decision is highly significant, it is pertinent to understand that this is not a UAE-wide approval.
'The decision is a characteristically measured approach to financial innovation and creates a regulatory sandbox within DIFC's boundaries where financial institutions can confidently integrate regulated stablecoins into specific operations,' Naïm told Arabian Business.
'What the DFSA is doing is essentially creating a test case for stablecoin regulation that will likely influence how other UAE jurisdictions approach these assets,' he said.
Move to boost DIFC's competitive position
The XBTO Middle East senior executive said the DFSA's decision will enhance the DIFC's competitive position in the increasingly contested market for digital asset regulation.
'This also has a positive knock-on effect for both Dubai and the UAE,' he said.
Naïm said without committing the entire emirate to a particular regulatory approach, the financial free zone demonstrates its capacity to integrate digital assets into a sophisticated regulatory framework.
'This precision is a favourable contrast with many jurisdictions, where the status quo remains grappling with fundamental questions of stablecoin classification.
'This approach also complements Dubai's broader crypto regulatory architecture, including VARA's oversight outside financial free zones and the central bank's developing framework for payment tokens and an AED-backed stablecoin,' he said.
As for the wider use of USDC and EURC, Naïm said a measured adoption curve appears more probable than any immediate surge, with business necessity rather than regulatory permission the most important factor.
'Financial institutions will likely look to implement these regulated stablecoins where they solve specific problems, with treasury operations and cross-border settlements the most obvious use cases where the efficiency gains justify the implementation costs, and compliance risks are most manageable,' he said.