The Dubai Digital Property Regulatory Authority (VARA) lately printed its framework legislation for digital asset regulation in Dubai, the Dubai Digital Property Legislation (Dubai VA Legislation). The legislation goals to manage digital property and digital asset service suppliers (VASPs). VARA was established by Legislation No. 4 of 2022.
A provision within the Dubai VA Legislation would prohibit the issuance of “anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies” and all digital asset actions associated to them within the Emirate of Dubai. The scope of what’s meant by “all digital asset actions” is unclear, and if additionally meant to use to the peer-to-peer market would solely enhance the priority and questions on lawful jurisdiction.
The worldwide pattern of governments transferring away from the privateness options of digital property is regarding and raises alarm bells. The generic time period “anonymity-enhancing cash” undervalues the importance and safety supplied by personal monetary transactions. This overlooks the truth {that a} overwhelming majority of digital property, together with bitcoin, possess some stage of anonymity-enhancing options, and plenty of extra digital property are frequently enhancing their privateness capabilities. This pattern not solely undermines the worth of those property but additionally the privateness rights of people and companies. It’s important to acknowledge the essential function that privateness options play within the digital asset panorama and take steps to protect and improve them.
Within the Dubai VA legislation, anonymity-enhancing cash are outlined as: “a sort of Digital Asset which prevents the tracing of transactions or report of possession by way of distributed public ledgers and for which the VASP has no mitigating applied sciences or mechanisms to permit traceability or identification of possession [emphasis added].”
In specializing in the daring language, the legislation itself acknowledges that digital asset service suppliers (VASPs) have a job to play in compliance with flexibility to think about their very own risk-based options to record and help such cash.
Moreover, there may be profound regulatory complexity because the legislation applies solely inside Dubai and to not the broader United Arab Emirates or the Dubai Worldwide Monetary Centre. The Dubai Worldwide Monetary Centre (DIFC) is a monetary free zone in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was established in 2004 with the aim of offering a hub for worldwide monetary providers within the Center East, Africa, and South Asia. The DIFC is ruled by its personal unbiased courts, and its jurisdiction covers monetary providers, amongst different issues.
These new provisions promulgated by VARA could influence VASP decision-making and should be challenged and clarified. Electrical Coin Co. is dedicated to accountable innovation and can proceed to lift consciousness of the hazard to progress and innovation in Dubai posed by limiting privateness protections for its residents. We sit up for additional alternatives for dialogue and clarification with the regulatory authority.