DeFi Technologies expands to Dubai to meet rising digital asset demand

By Vriti Gothi

DeFi Technologies, a financial technology company, has expanded operations in the United Arab Emirates as part of its expansion into the GCC and MENA regions.

The company has established DEFI DMCC with offices in Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai, and opened a new trading desk at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) through its subsidiaries Valour and Valour Digital Securities Limited.

The move is intended to tap into the growing institutional appetite for digital assets in the Gulf, where investor interest in cryptocurrencies and related instruments is gathering pace. The launch also aligns with DeFi Technologies’ broader ambition to scale its product range and expand its global presence.

DeFi Technologies offers equity investors diversified exposure to the expanding decentralised economy through its integrated business model. Its subsidiary Valour currently provides access to more than 65 digital assets via regulated exchange-traded products (ETPs) and is targeting 100 by the end of 2025.

The Dubai expansion reflects a strategic effort to position DeFi Technologies as a trusted link between emerging decentralised asset classes and established financial markets. It comes as policymakers in the UAE and wider region signal openness to regulated innovation in digital finance as part of their broader economic diversification agendas.

The company says it will continue to develop its product suite and explore new partnerships to meet growing institutional and retail demand for secure, regulated access to digital assets, while working closely with local authorities to ensure compliance and build market confidence.

Andrew Forson, President of DeFi Technologies and Chief Growth Officer of Valour, said, “We believe the demand for digital asset ETPs will increase not only globally but in the GCC and Middle East. Investors, whether sovereign wealth funds, institutional investors, family offices and even retail investors, are interested in crypto but require familiar and efficient vehicles to get exposure. Wrapping digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum in regulated financial instruments such as ETPs will increase the number of crypto investors and offer countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia access to international foreign investment.”