Every founder who comes to me wanting to issue a token from the UAE starts the conversation the same way - "What licence do I need?"
Every founder who comes to me wanting to issue a token from the UAE starts the conversation the same way - "What licence do I need?"
I always stop them there. Because that's not the correct question.
The first question is - "What is this token, actually?"
A utility token. An RWA token. A security token. A stablecoin. A governance token. A fund token. Different tokens - different regulatory pathways in the UAE.
Pick the wrong one and the damage shows up later in a legal opinion that gets rejected, an exchange listing that falls through, a raise that gets delayed because the structure underneath it was never right to begin with.
Over the years, we've delivered 250+ token legal opinions. Every single one accepted by Tier-1 exchanges and Regulators.
That's getting the classification right the first time, every time.
I've also spent years on the policy side, advising governments and regulators on how to build these frameworks. It gives me a perspective.
I've seen both how the rules are written and how they're actually enforced.
That's the experience behind the UAE Token Issuance Regulatory Map we just put together. A real starting point for founders trying to figure out where they belong before they make an expensive mistake.
A token launch now is a legal and regulatory matter, pushing code to mainnet takes 10 minutes.
If you're planning a token launch, what's the question you still can't get a straight answer to?
NeosLegal - UAE Crypto & Web3 Law Firm Zainab K. | 11 comments on LinkedIn
➤ Founders seeking to issue tokens in the UAE are often focused on the wrong question ('What license do I need?') instead of understanding the token's actual classification.
➤ The correct classification (utility, RWA, security, stablecoin, etc.) dictates the appropriate regulatory pathway and is crucial to avoid future legal and listing issues.
➤ The author, with extensive experience in policy and legal opinions, has developed a 'UAE Token Issuance Regulatory Map' to guide founders through this complex process.
