Flowdesk secures full Dubai broker-dealer licence

Dubai's Flowdesk has obtained a full broker-dealer licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling its local operation to offer regulated digital-asset services to qualified and institutional investors. This authorization marks the completion of a regulatory process that transitioned from provisional approval in June to a full licence in August.

The new licence empowers Flowdesk Omega FZE to operate within Dubai’s specialised virtual-asset framework as it broadens its services for professional market participants across the Middle East.

The licence authorises Flowdesk to provide broker-dealer services, a category governed by VARA, which includes facilitating transactions, arranging execution and liquidity services within the parameters set by VARA. Entities operating regulated virtual-asset activities in Dubai, except those within the Dubai International Financial Centre, must secure a VARA licence before initiating operations.

Flowdesk has targeted qualified and institutional investors for its Dubai venture, focusing on professional counterparties rather than mass-market retail trading. The firm's offerings include liquidity provision, over-the-counter trading, and proprietary technology designed to facilitate connections between institutions and token issuers with digital-asset markets.

Flowdesk's CEO and co-founder, Guilhem Chaumont, highlighted that the full licence is a testament to the company's efforts in governance, compliance, risk management, and market infrastructure. Dubai has become a pivotal hub for Flowdesk’s expansion as the UAE aims to become a significant hub for regulated virtual-asset activity.

This achievement follows Flowdesk Europe's recent acquisition of Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation from France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, effective from June 30. The combination of VARA and MiCA authorisations provides Flowdesk with regulated platforms in two jurisdictions—Dubai and the EU—that have established comprehensive licensing regimes for digital-asset businesses.

MiCA enforces common requirements across the EU, covering authorisation, governance, disclosures, and supervision, while Dubai has defined distinct categories for various activities such as broker-dealer, exchange, custody, lending, investment management, and transfer services. Flowdesk’s European entity holds MiCA registration number A2026-022, following its previous status as a registered Digital Asset Service Provider in France.

The regulatory shift has gained significance as European authorities transition from national registration systems to the EU-wide MiCA framework during 2026. Flowdesk has also been broadening its capital base and expanding its range of institutional products, completing a $102 million equity financing round in 2025. The company plans to further invest in trading infrastructure, compliance, legal functions, over-the-counter derivatives, and credit services.

Operating globally with over 200 employees and trading coverage across more than 150 exchange venues, Flowdesk currently has offices in Paris, Singapore, the United States, and Dubai. The company emphasizes that its broker-dealer operations may involve acting as principal or agent depending on the service and contractual arrangement, with client orders potentially routed to external exchanges and market makers.

Digital assets, which can be highly volatile, are disclosed as exposing investors to liquidity, technology, counterparty, and cybersecurity risks. VARA mandates licensed providers to adhere to specific rulebooks for each authorized activity, separating licensed client-facing operations from proprietary trading, which requires companies conducting proprietary trading to operate through a distinct structure and obtain necessary regulatory clearance.