Institutional investors now lead MENA digital asset trading

By Vriti Gothi

Institutional and high-net-worth investors accounted for more than two-thirds of crypto trading volumes across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in 2025, reflecting a structural shift in the region’s digital asset market toward professionalised participation and regulation-led growth.

New data released in a 2025 annual industry report highlights accelerating institutional engagement, alongside increasingly disciplined retail investor behaviour. The findings suggest that the regional market has moved beyond speculative retail cycles and into a more mature phase shaped by regulatory clarity in jurisdictions such as the UAE and Bahrain.

According to the report, VIP and institutional clients contributed over 66% of total trading volumes during the year. This growth was supported by a 66% year-on-year increase in high-value traders and HNWIs, as well as a doubling of corporate and treasury clients across MENA. The data aligns with broader industry trends, indicating that family offices and wealth managers in the Gulf are formalising digital asset allocations within diversified portfolios.

Industry research cited in the report shows that 71% of ultra-high-net-worth families in the UAE believe they should make strategic allocations to digital assets—above the global average of 69%—while 39% of HNWIs in the country already hold crypto assets. These figures signal increasing institutional comfort with digital asset exposure as part of long-term wealth strategies.

“2025 marked a defining year for digital assets globally. Total market capitalisation surpassed $4 trillion for the first time, with Bitcoin reaching a new all-time high, supported by meaningful policy progress in the United States and other major markets,” said Ola Doudin, Co-Founder and CEO of BitOasis. “In parallel, the UAE and Bahrain emerged as global standard-bearers for progressive, enabling regulation.”

Retail participation, while still significant, showed signs of behavioural maturity. Users held an average of three tokens per portfolio, with Bitcoin remaining the most held and most-traded asset. DOGE emerged as the most-traded token overall, and BTC-AED was recorded as the most active trading pair. Trading activity peaked on Mondays around 18:00 GST, suggesting engagement aligned with global market hours rather than continuous speculative activity.

The report also highlighted selective risk-taking among participants, with XRP recording the highest growth in trading activity irrespective of valuation. The average customer age stood at 39, indicating that experienced investors are increasingly shaping regional trading volumes.

To accommodate growing professional demand, the company expanded its institutional infrastructure during the year. Enhancements included a segmented VIP programme offering over-the-counter block trading, priority banking with faster AED settlement rails, dedicated relationship management, and a low-latency API infrastructure designed for algorithmic and professional traders. Volume-based fee incentives, market intelligence services, and education initiatives were also introduced to deepen engagement with advanced investors.

As part of its forward strategy, the company is preparing to introduce regulated derivatives in Bahrain, subject to regulatory approval, while continuing to invest in governance, liquidity management, and security frameworks.

The report indicates that digital assets in MENA are increasingly integrated into institutional and treasury strategies, supported by regulatory clarity and maturing investor behaviour. With institutional capital now representing the majority of trading activity, the region’s crypto market appears to be entering a more structured and long-term growth phase.