Payward, Kraken's parent company, has received Dubai regulatory clearance for its Payward FZCO subsidiary to offer cryptocurrency services to retail, professional and institutional clients across the UAE. Payward said it received Full Market Approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority on Oct. 12, 2026, while a previously cited VARA public-register entry listed the VASP license as issued on Oct. 6. The approval follows preliminary authorization granted on May 21, 2026, and covers broker-dealer, investment and management activities. Kraken plans to launch within weeks with AED-denominated spot and margin trading, direct dirham deposits and withdrawals, on-chain staking, xStocks and Krak transfers; institutional clients will receive over-the-counter spot trading and Kraken Prime. Payward says it holds more than 100 licenses and registrations globally, while derivatives and additional yield products remain planned for late 2026 into 2027, subject to further approvals.