UAE Crypto Market Surges with Over $30B in Transactions

A recent report by Chainalysis highlights that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stands out in global cryptocurrency activity, showing significant growth across all categories by transaction size.

From July 2023 to June 2024. The UAE has received more than $30 billion in cryptocurrencies, ranking it among the 40 largest countries in the world. This growth is fuelled by regulatory innovation, institutional interest and increased market activity.

Interestingly, cryptocurrency received from retail investors (transactions under $1,000) and mid-sized investors (between $1,000 and $10,000) grew by over 75% year-over-year.

Institutional investor activity (transactions between $1 million and $10 million) also saw a significant increase, growing by over 50% year-over-year.

The UAE is the third largest crypto economy in the MENA region, featuring a more diversified ecosystem compared to neighboring countries where centralized exchanges dominate.

Adoption of the DeFi sector in the UAE exceeds the global average, with 32.4% of transactions taking place on decentralized exchanges (DEX), compared to the global average of 27.8%. The total value of cryptocurrencies received through DeFi services grew 74% year-on-year, with DEX transactions increasing 87% to $11.3 billion.