The World Crypto Rankings 2025 report, released by Bybit and DL Research, has named the United Arab Emirates as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s undisputed leader in crypto adoption. The UAE has not only established itself as the regional hub for asset tokenization pilots and settlement systems, but has also become the de facto bridge between Asia, Europe, and Africa in tokenized finance.
The UAE ranks fifth in adoption worldwide, sitting alongside other institutional hubs such as Singapore (1), the United States (2), Lithuania (3), and Switzerland (4). It combines the progressive and innovation-friendly policy frameworks with grassroots remittance-driven usage and one of the world’s highest user penetration rates. As a policy-first global tokenization hub, the UAE offers clear AML guidelines and legal frameworks for digital asset providers. The Emirates are also one of the most attractive destinations for talent and enterprises.
Saudi Arabia, too, has been strengthening its digital asset infrastructure and expanding its licensing regimes. The kingdom boasts strong user penetration and high crypto ownership, indicating there’s clear public interest in digital assets. Meanwhile, the North African countries, such as Morocco, show robust grassroots adoption despite stricter regulations.
The report highlights MENA as a “hybrid region” where both top-down institutional leadership and bottom-up financial innovation are driving growth. On the one hand, there are institutional crypto hubs like the UAE, and on the other, there are economically distressed countries in North Africa and the Levant where crypto acts as a workaround for inflation, capital controls, and limited access to banking services.
While regulatory and infrastructure support remain weak across much of the region, growing user demand, particularly among younger populations, suggests a market that could scale rapidly with the right policy and financial frameworks.
"Bybit is honored to contribute to Dubai's remarkable rise as the UAE pioneers the future of crypto innovation and regulation. As one of the first exchanges establishing our headquarters here, being the first exchange to secure the Virtual Asset Platform Operator License from the SCA, as well as serving as advisor to our partners at DMCC, Bybit is committed to the region's growth as a global crypto hub," said Michelle Daura, MENA Regional Manager of Bybit.
Globally, the report points out, adoption flourishes when infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and institutional participation align. Each country in the world’s top five follows a different model: Singapore boasts a digitally literate population and a clear licensing regime, the U.S. anchors global liquidity through scale and ETF-driven institutional flows, Lithuania punches above its weight by becoming an EU gateway under MiCA, Switzerland combines legal clarity with cultural embedding, and the UAE pairs ambitious policy frameworks with grassroots remittance-driven usage.
Source: Press Release
