We may receive advertising compensation when you click certain products. Before jumping into this page, an important disclosure.
Cryptoasset investing is unregulated in some EU countries and the UK. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk.
Rain is a crypto exchange focused on serving UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. They offer 24/7 support and meet all CCSS requirements as a crypto custodian and is licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain as a Crypto Asset Brokerage.
This is an ad. We may receive compensation when you use Rain. Please visit Rain for its exact pricing terms.
BitOasis is a digital currency platform serving the MENA region. Customers can buy bitcoin via wire transfer or credit/debit card in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Bahrain. UAE clients may also deposit funds via exchange houses.
Paybis is a popular cryptocurrency exchange. They serve 180 countries and 48 US states and are registered with FinCEN, making them a more trusted, regulated exchange. Paybis offers incredibly high limits and super fast payouts, not to mention 5 minute ID verification and nearly perfect review scores on Trustpilot.
You can use our Bitcoin ATM map to buy bitcoins with cash. Bitcoin ATMs can be a quick and easy way to buy bitcoins and they're also private. That convenience and privacy, however, comes with a price; most ATMs have fees of 5-10%.
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Although the UAE government has warned against investing in Bitcoin, many in Dubai are investing regardless.
Dubai does not consider Bitcoin legal tender, but there aren't restrictions on buying or selling either. Based on LocalBitcoins volume and Google Trends data, Bitcoin looks alive and well in Dubai.
In March 2021, The Dubai Financial Services Authority, or DFSA, requested input from the public regarding a proposed regulatory framework for crypto and blockcain technology. But thus far, there have been no restrictions on cryptocurrency.
If you want to buy Bitcoin, you need a way to store your investment. Storing your coins on an exchange wallet is risky because centralized exchanges are subject to hackers and theft.
Using a cold storage hardware wallet like the Ledger Nano S or the Trezor is the best way to keep your investment safe.
COMPARISON
After you buy a wallet, choose one of the exchanges above that best suits your needs in terms of limits, fees, and privacy. From there, all you have to do is verify your identity, connect your payment method, and buy Bitcoin.
You can deposit your Bitcoin from the exchange to your hardware wallet. There was only one Bitcoin ATM installed in Dubai back in March of 2019, but the authorities removed it just a few days later for non-compliance.
At the time of writing, there aren't any Bitcoin ATMs available for use in Dubai, but there is one Bitcoin teller.
Despite retracing significantly since Bitcoin's major run in late 2017, Bitcoin volume in Dubai on LocalBitcoins seems to be steady.
Dubai is an important economic center of the United Arab Emirates, not to mention its largest city and the focal point of advanced technologies.
Cryptocurrency has been met with friendly legislation when compared to the rest of the UAE. The less developed countries in the surrounding area buy their Bitcoin in Dubai due to hyperinflation in their home countries.
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There are three main types of Bitcoin wallet and all of them are supported in Dubai:
The Ledger Nano X is the newest crypto hardware wallet, and is very easy to use. It connects to iOS, Android & desktop computers.
Coinbase is an easy-to-use iOS and Android crypto exchange and wallet. Start within 20 seconds.
Electrum is a Bitcoin-only wallet that has been around since 2011. It's easy to use, but has advanced features.
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Ethereum (ETH) has established itself as the second most popular digital currency, after Bitcoin. Its smart contract features allow unique apps to be built on top of its platform. Below you will find exchanges in Dubai that allow you to buy ethereum. Once you buy, you should withdrawal your ETH directly to your own crypto wallet.
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Thanks to Tesla founder Elon Musk, Dogecoin (DOGE)—a coin that started as a meme about the shiba inu dog—has recently become a popular digital currency. Below you can find crypto exchanges in Canada that allow you purchase Dogecoin.
About Dogecoin: Dogecoin has become one of the most famous altcoin blockchains. Dogecoin was founded by Jackson Palmer and Billy Markus on December 6, 2013. Thanks to its popularity on Robinhood, it hit an all time high of $0.42 on April 20. Doge started the year at under $0.01 USD. It is an open source blockchain, meaning its code is publicly available for anyone to see.
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Litecoin (LTC) is one of largest cryptocurrencies by market cap. Below you can find a list of brokerages in Dubai that allow you to buy litecoin and other crypto assets for good exchange rates.
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In October of 2019, social media influencer and scammer Aziz Mirza was arrested in Dubai for defrauding investors in his "Bitcoin of the Middle East" Habibi Coin. Habibi Coin was supposed to be a "real-estate backed" cryptocurrency.
Unfortunately for its investors, most of whom belonged to the Muslim Entrepreneur Network facebook group, Habibi Coin was just a scam to get investors into fake real-estate deals that enriched Mirza who never bought any real estate. In total, 1,500 people signed up to join his program at £5,000 minimum per person.
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If you want to acquire Bitcoin as quickly and efficiently as possible, buying it directly from an exchange or peer is your best option.
More tech-savvy individuals may opt to mine their Bitcoin instead, but mining requires expensive hardware, lots of electricity, and a ton of time.
Large operations in countries with cheap electricity are responsible for the majority of Bitcoin mining. These operations can turn a profit at scale, under the right conditions.
But unfortunately, Bitcoin mining is not profitable for the average Joe, thanks to the price of electricity and the increasing Bitcoin block difficulty.
However, electricity costs in the UAE aren't high by any stretch of the imagination. Coming in at 0.296 Dirham per kWh ($0.08), the UAE has cheaper electricity than the United States, Canada, and many European nations.
Still, electricity in the UAE is pricier than China, home to many of the largest mining farms. If you're expecting to turn a profit, think again. Mining should only be for fun/as a hobby, not as a fast track to riches. At least, this the case for the casual investor.
For this reason, you will still be losing nearly $900 a year if you are mining in the UAE.
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Coinbase does NOT support customers in Dubai as of September of 2020.
You can use our Bitcoin ATM finder tool to check back in occasionally and see if one has opened.
Bitcoin prices are changing every second.
The best way to find the most up-to-date price of Bitcoin is to check out our Bitcoin price page.
Aston Plaza and Residences in Dubai were offering the first 150 residences in their tower for Bitcoin purchase only. If you wanted to pay in Cash, you had to wait. However, all of these units have been sold.
Besides Aston, There are few known developers stating publicly that they accept Bitcoin, there have been reports that many developers are open to accepting Bitcoin when offered by a prospective customer.
You can get Bitcoin debit cards in Dubai by using Pursa.co, which makes it simple to get all sorts of debit cards in many variations of fiat and Bitcoin.
Any exchange with a UAE Dirham trading pair will allow you to sell your Bitcoin for fiat currency. Rain.bh has AED trading pairs for many popular coins.
LocalBitcoins is another option. Here, you can buy and sell Bitcoin for a wide range of payment methods, from gift cards to bank transfers. LocalBitcoins is a peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange, where you buy and sell with another individual. This does introduce a degree of risk, though by ensuring that you conduct all business on the platform, make use of its escrow services, and only trade with users who have a good reputation, you'll minimize any potential problems.
You could also use a service like eGifter to sell your Bitcoin for gift cards.