UAE-based crypto companies have continued operating with limited disruption despite the regional conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, according to a Reuters report published on March 18, 2026. The report pointed to cloud-based infrastructure and virtual marketplaces as key factors enabling the sector’s resilience as the war entered its third week.
What Reuters Found About UAE Crypto Operations
Reuters reported that many UAE crypto firms rely on cloud-based infrastructure and virtual marketplaces, which reduced their dependence on physical offices and local transport networks during the conflict. The report, reprinted by the Jerusalem Post, said executives in Dubai and Abu Dhabi maintained that the UAE’s core appeal as a crypto hub had not materially changed.
Reuters quoted Dubai-based crypto executive Alex Scott saying the fundamentals that made the UAE attractive for crypto and blockchain had not changed. The reporting framed the UAE’s digital-asset sector as operationally insulated from the physical disruptions that typically accompany regional conflict.
The findings align with a broader pattern of institutional commitment to the UAE crypto market. Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX completed a $2 billion investment in Binance in March 2025, and Binance employs roughly 1,000 of its approximately 5,000 global staff in the UAE. That level of operational presence underscores the country’s role as a major hub for crypto employment and infrastructure, a theme that featured prominently in recent crypto news roundups covering the region.
Financial System Stability Behind the Crypto Sector
The Central Bank of the UAE issued a statement on March 5, 2026 confirming that banks, financial institutions, and insurance companies were operating normally and without disruption nationwide. The statement provided specific metrics to back the claim.
The CBUAE reported a capital adequacy ratio of 17%, a liquidity coverage ratio exceeding 146.6%, and total sector assets exceeding AED 5.42 trillion. These figures were presented as evidence that the country’s financial plumbing remained sound despite the security environment.
That banking-sector stability matters for crypto companies because exchanges, custodians, and payment processors in the UAE depend on fiat on-ramps and banking relationships. A healthy financial system means those connections remain intact even under stress.
Why the Conflict Context Matters
The US-Israel and Iran conflict, which began escalating in late February 2026, created the conditions under which this resilience is being tested. For crypto companies, regional conflict raises questions about physical infrastructure, regulatory continuity, staff safety, and access to banking services.
Reuters framed the story around business continuity rather than market sentiment or token prices. The distinction matters: the report was not claiming that crypto prices were unaffected, but that the companies themselves kept functioning. This is a different, more operationally grounded claim, and one that developments like diplomatic signals around the Iran conflict could further shape.
According to unconfirmed reports, some regional events, including TOKEN2049 in Dubai, were canceled or postponed because of the security situation. That suggests the conflict has had tangible effects on the industry’s physical presence, even if remote operations continued.
Exchanges Doubling Down on UAE Presence
Bybit, one of the largest crypto exchanges globally, has been deepening its Middle East operations rather than scaling back, citing the UAE’s resilience and its digital-asset hub ambitions. The expansion signals that at least some major players view the current disruption as temporary rather than structural.
The combination of Binance’s large UAE workforce, MGX’s $2 billion investment, and Bybit’s continued expansion creates a picture of institutional confidence that extends beyond any single company. For readers tracking how major exchanges are positioning globally, the pattern echoes Binance’s continued product launches across its ecosystem.
What Resilience Does and Does Not Mean
The Reuters report supports a narrow claim: UAE crypto companies kept operating during a regional conflict because their infrastructure is largely digital. That is a meaningful finding for an industry that has invested heavily in the UAE as a regulatory and operational base.
It does not, however, prove that the sector is growing, attracting new inflows, or immune to longer-term risk. The available evidence comes primarily from executive interviews and broad financial-system metrics, not from granular trading volumes, customer activity data, or official registry counts of active crypto firms.
If the conflict continues or escalates, the resilience narrative will face harder tests, including sustained pressure on banking relationships, potential sanctions complications, and the practical limits of remote-first operations. For now, the evidence supports cautious optimism about operational continuity, not a broader claim about sector strength.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
