Flowdesk Omega FZE, the Dubai subsidiary of France-based liquidity provider and virtual asset trading technology firm Flowdesk, has obtained a crypto broker-dealer license from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, or VARA.
The approval allows the company to provide digital-asset broker-dealer services to qualified and institutional investors in and from Dubai. It comes two months after Flowdesk said it received in-principle approval in June 2026, extending the group’s regulated presence in the UAE.
Dubai approval broadens local operations
With the VARA license in place, Flowdesk’s UAE entity can now operate as a regulated broker-dealer for crypto-related services within the scope described by the regulator. The authorization is specific to qualified and institutional clients rather than the broader retail market.
The newly licensed business is Flowdesk Omega FZE, a Dubai entity tied to the wider Flowdesk group, which is headquartered in France. The company is known as a liquidity provider and a firm focused on virtual asset trading technology.
From in-principle clearance to full license
The latest approval follows an earlier step in the licensing process. According to the company, Flowdesk received in-principle approval from VARA in June 2026, and the broker-dealer license was granted roughly two months later.
That sequence marks a formal progression from preliminary regulatory clearance to an operational authorization that enables the firm to offer the approved services in and from Dubai.
Flowdesk highlights UAE growth plans
Flowdesk co-founder and chief executive Guilhem Chaumont described the VARA license as a major milestone for the group. He said the company views Dubai’s virtual asset regime as one of the clearest and most ambitious regulatory frameworks in the sector.
Chaumont also said the UAE has become central to Flowdesk’s growth as an important virtual asset market. In his account, the license gives the company the ability to serve institutional and qualified clients in the region as a fully regulated broker-dealer, while continuing to work with VARA as the market develops.
Backers and next confirmed step
The parent company is backed by BlackRock, Cathay Innovation, and Coinbase Ventures, according to the source article. The new Dubai authorization adds to Flowdesk’s list of regulated footholds as it expands internationally.
The immediate confirmed change is that Flowdesk Omega FZE is now permitted to offer broker-dealer services for digital assets to eligible client categories in and from Dubai under VARA’s license. Beyond that, the company has framed the UAE as a key market for further growth, though no additional operational timeline was detailed in the source.
Source: Cryptopolitan