SKU-05UAE6 weeksNew
Licence-to-live operating model
Stand up stablecoin conversion or custody services that work on day one and hold up at inspection.
The outcome you can measure
Three numbers at the end of week 6
01 · A dateYour first live conversion or transferWith launch milestones and readiness gates.
02 · A gap countControl and technology gapsAcross safeguarding, custody, Travel Rule, reconciliation and reporting.
03 · A money figureBuild vs. buy costPlus the capital tier you’ll need: AED 1.5M or 3M.
Why now
- LicensedConverting or holding dirham payment tokens needs a Central Bank licence, open only to UAE-incorporated firms.
- CapitalAED 1.5M, rising to AED 3M once monthly volume averages over AED 10M for three months.
- SafeguardingCustody and transfer providers must safeguard the payment tokens they hold.
- Sep 2026Several dirham stablecoins were licensed or approved, so demand for conversion and custody is real.
Sources: CMS; Cryptoverse Lawyers on capital; DLA Piper (October 2026). Not legal advice.
Who it’s for
A good fit
- VASPs adding conversion, or custody and transfer
- Exchange houses and payment firms entering payment token services
- Banks adding digital asset custody
Not the right start
- Not sure which licence you need: see payment token readiness
- Issuing tokens: see issuer architecture
What you get, and how it runs
- Target operating model: people, process, systems and controls
- Safeguarding and custody design
- Build-vs-buy decision with vendor options
- Capital and liquidity plan
- A launch plan with readiness gates, and a board pack
- Weeks 1–2Service design and current state
- Weeks 3–4Operating model, controls and safeguarding
- Week 5Build vs. buy and the capital plan
- Week 6Launch plan and the board pack
What I need from you
- Your COO as sponsor
- Compliance, operations and technology leads
- Your filing, licence or licence conditions
Where it leads
A production sprint for each critical workflow, and settlement and reconciliation design for the bank side.
How we’d work
Fixed feeQuoted after a 30-minute scoping call, half on signing.
In DubaiBased in Dubai; on site with your team for design sessions.
IndependentI compare custody and conversion vendors; I don’t resell them. fazeZERO, which I contract through, won’t bid on build work from my advice without your written consent.
Not legal adviceI work alongside your compliance team and legal counsel.
Next step
Tell me which service you want live first.
A 30-minute call is enough to confirm the fit, the fee and a start date.