USDC Issuer Circle Secures Abu Dhabi's ADGM License in Middle East Expansion

Finance Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email USDC Issuer Circle Secures Abu Dhabi's ADGM License in Middle East Expansion The license allows Circle to expand USDC payment and settlement tools across the United Arab Emirates. By Krisztian Sandor , AI Boost | Edited by Nikhilesh De Dec 9, 2025, 5:30 a.m. Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO, Circle Speaks at Hong Kong Fintech Week in 2024 (HK Fintech Week) What to know : Circle has obtained a Financial Services Permission license from Abu Dhabi Global Market, allowing it to operate as a Money Services Provider in the UAE. The stablecoin issuer has appointed Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, former manager at payments firm Visa. The approval comes as part of the UAE's emergence as a global hub for regulated digital assets, following similar licenses granted to Binance. Circle (CRCL), the firm behind the $78 billion stablecoin USDC $ 0.9998 , said on Tuesday it has secured a Financial Services Permission (FSP) license from Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), giving the company a formal foothold into the United Arab Emirates' regulated crypto ecosystem. The license, issued by ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), allows Circle to operate as a Money Services Provider inside the financial free zone, following the preliminary approval in April. STORY CONTINUES BELOW Don't miss another story. Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today . See all newsletters Sign me up By signing up, you will receive emails about CoinDesk products and you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . Alongside the approval, the firm also appointed Dr. Saeeda Jaffar to lead operations in the Middle East and Africa region as managing director, joining from payments processing giant Visa, the company said. The license opens the door for the company to offer its USDC stablecoin in business payments, settlements and other financial use cases across the UAE. The regulatory nod follows Circle’s recognition in Dubai earlier this year, where USDC and its euro-backed counterpart EURC became registered under the Dubai Financial Services Authority's crypto regime. The UAE emerged as a key global hub for regulated digital assets businesses. Circle's approval comes only a day after crypto giant Binance obtaining licenses from Abu Dhabi’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority for exchange, clearing, and brokerage operations. Stablecoins like USDC are increasingly becoming part of the global financial system as regulatory guardrails are being put in place for the fast-growing, $300 billion asset class. Their popularity is rising as tools for cross-border payments, particularly in regions where access to traditional banking infrastructure is limited or costly. Stablecoins Circle Abu Dhabi Global Market AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards . For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy . More For You Protocol Research: GoPlus Security By CoinDesk Research Nov 14, 2025 Commissioned by GoPlus What to know : As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M. GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month. 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