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Nomura Securities' Laser Digital to Launch First Crypto Options Trading Platform in Dubai
industry4 months before
Summary：Laser Digital, a subsidiary of Nomura Securities, has received regulatory approval in Dubai to launch the first regulated over-the-counter (OTC) platform for cryptocurrency options. As a leading example of the gradual clarification of global digital derivatives market regulation, this move not only strengthens the UAE's strategic position in the global digital asset market but also provides institutional investors with new hedging and yield management tools. #NomuraSecurities #CryptoOptions #DubaiRegulation #DigitalDerivatives #InstitutionalInvestment
Nomura bets on Dubai, crypto options market faces regulatory breakthrough
Laser Digital, the digital asset subsidiary of Japan’s Nomura Securities, has received a limited license from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), becoming the first institution to offer regulated over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency options services in the region.
The platform aims to provide institutional clients with a more flexible, low-slippage trading experience, supporting strategies such as hedging, yield generation, and volatility management. VARA will continue to evaluate market risk controls and further expand the scope of its license upon maturity.
Global regulatory progress is slow, with Dubai and the UK leading the way
Compared to the US and EU, Dubai has been more proactive in its crypto derivatives regulation. In the UK, M&G invested in GFO-X, the country's first regulated Bitcoin derivatives platform, in 2023, with the intention of establishing a centralized clearing mechanism. While the EU has established basic reporting and clearing rules through frameworks such as MiFID II and EMIR, most member states have yet to introduce a licensing system specifically for crypto over-the-counter (OTC) trading. In the US, crypto derivatives trading is primarily regulated by the CFTC, but OTC options platforms still lack a clear licensing framework. In contrast, Dubai's VARA regulations, introduced in 2023, have fully regulated exchanges, brokers, token issuers, and OTC platforms, spearheading the establishment of a world-leading regulatory system for crypto assets.
The UAE market's potential is beginning to emerge, and institutional layout is accelerating.
The UAE derivatives market is estimated to be worth approximately $167 million in 2024, with an average annual growth rate of 3.7% expected through 2031 (source: DGCX). Traditional institutions such as DGCX and ADSS, primarily focused on foreign exchange and commodities trading, are now accelerating their entry into the digital asset sector.
Although still small in size compared to giants such as CME and CBOE in the United States, Dubai is attracting global capital inflows through a compliance framework and accelerating the construction of Web3 infrastructure, and is becoming a new outlet for global institutional asset allocation.
How should investors adjust their strategies in the face of the compliance wave?
Currently, crypto derivatives are at a critical turning point in regulatory compliance. Investors need to closely monitor institutional trends and the global derivatives portfolios of leading brokerages and banks to gauge the industry's direction. Furthermore, markets with increasingly clear regulatory policies tend to attract compliant capital, making them relatively safe investment areas. Emerging compliant markets such as Dubai and Hong Kong are gradually becoming new hubs for capital inflows, providing investors with more compliant paths to invest in digital assets.
The crypto derivatives market is evolving at an accelerated pace, and a dual-driven pattern of institutions and regulators has taken shape.
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