How to Register a Web3 Startup in Dubai: The Complete 2026 Playbook
Every few weeks someone messages me asking the same question: where do I actually start if I want to build a Web3 company in Dubai? The honest answer is that the process is more structured than most founders expect coming from other jurisdictions, and skipping steps almost always costs more time later than doing them properly upfront. Here's what the path actually looks like in 2026. Step one: figure out what you're actually building This sounds obvious, but it's where most founders lose weeks. Are you building an exchange? A token issuance platform? A custody service? A DeFi protocol with some centralized touchpoints? Each of these maps to a different regulatory category, and that category determines which authority you're dealing with, what capital requirements apply, and how long licensing takes. A generic "we're a crypto startup" framing doesn't work when you get to the application stage, the regulator wants to know exactly which activity you...