UAE Dubai virtual asset regulator publishes its virtual asset settlements and transfers rulebook

 

The UAE virtual asset regulatory authority has published its new virtual asset rulebook for, the virtual assets transfer,  and settlement service.  

This comes after the Central Bank of UAE published its guidelines for AML CFT compliance for financial institutions in relations to VASPs in the UAE.

As published in the rulebook, VASPs providing VA Transfer and Settlement Services must comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements issued by the Central Bank of UAE which apply to the VASP, which pertain to the end-to-end enablement of payments, remittances and/or other related services as may be amended from time to time.

As per the transfer and settlement service rulebook document, VASPs providing VA Transfer and Settlement Services must ensure that they comply with all legal and regulatory requirements for such services, inside and outside of the UAE. VASPs must ensure at all times that any transmission or transfer, and/or settlement being undertaken is permissible and can be facilitated through, and concluded in, all jurisdictions that are relevant to that transmission or transfer, and/or settlement.

The VASPs also have to comply with the compliance and risk management rulebook. VASPs providing VA Transfer and Settlement Services must comply with all requirements with respect to AML/CFT contained in that Rulebook, including but not limited to FATF-specific compliance requirements such as the Travel Rule.

The VASPs are liable to clients for the correct transmission, transfer or settlement of virtual assets to recipients whether from VASP wallet or VA wallet. VASPs are also responsible for the functioning of VA wallets or accounts of its clients for the purposes of receiving Virtual Assets, as well as providing all routing information that is necessary for a transmission or transfer, and/or settlement to be completed when requested by the sender’s VASP.

In addition VASPs must maintain records of all client instructions for a period of eight [8] years.

With this Dubai and the UAE have now finalized the major crypto and virtual asset rulesbooks, allowing VASPs to offer  transfers, and settlements for virtual assets.