December 16, 2025
The UAE has been named as the top country in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for cryptocurrency adoption and ranks fifth globally, according to the World Crypto Rankings 2025 report published by Bybit and DL Research. Source is Gulf Business.
The report highlights the UAE’s emergence as a regional hub for asset tokenization and settlement systems, positioning it as a bridge between Asia, Europe and Africa for digital finance. Dubai, in particular, has emerged as a politically prioritized global tokenization hub, offering clear anti-money laundering (AML) guidelines, legal frameworks for digital asset providers, and an attractive environment for talent and businesses.
Globally, the UAE ranks behind Singapore (1), the United States (2), Lithuania (3) and Switzerland (4) in adoption rankings. The country’s approach combines progressive policy frameworks with strong popular usage, including remittance-driven demand, and some of the highest crypto user penetration rates in the world.
“Bybit is honored to contribute to Dubai’s remarkable rise, as the UAE pioneers the future of crypto innovation and regulation,” said Michelle Daura, MENA Regional Director at Bybit. “As one of the first exchanges based here, the first to obtain the Virtual Asset Platform Operator License from the SCAand advisor to DMCC partners, Bybit is committed to the region’s growth as a global crypto hub.
Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia is also strengthening its digital asset infrastructure and expanding its licensing regimes, demonstrating growing public interest in cryptocurrencies. Meanwhile, North African countries like Morocco are showing robust popular adoption despite stricter regulatory environments.
The report describes the MENA region as a “hybrid region,” with both institutional leadership in hubs like the UAE and innovation-driven adoption in economically challenged countries, where crypto serves as a workaround to inflation, capital controls and limited access to banking services. Despite weak regulatory and infrastructural support in parts of the region, growing demand among younger populations portends rapid potential growth with appropriate policy frameworks.
Globally, the report notes that adoption thrives where infrastructure, regulatory clarity and institutional participation align. Each of the top five countries follows a distinct model: Singapore combines digital culture and licensing clarity, the US anchors its liquidity through ETFs and institutional flows, Lithuania leverages EU gateways under MiCA, Switzerland combines legal clarity and cultural integration, and the UAE combines ambitious policy and grassroots-focused usage.
