Growth of crypto business members in DMCC Crypto Center seems to be slowing down in the past two years. In 2022 DMCC Crypto Center announced that crypto center was home to 500 crypto and blockchain entities an increase of 231% compared to 2021 when there were 151 crypto blockchain entities.

In 2023, DMCC announced it had increased the number of members with 123 new crypto and blockchain entities registering at the crypto center. By 2024, DMCC announced that they had 600 registered blockchain and crypto companies an increase at the time of 11% from the year before.

Last week in August 2025, in an X Post the DMCC Crypto Center announced that they now had 700 blockchain and crypto companies registered, which means in 12 months, only 100 more companies registered at the center. As per the post the members include blockchain, DeFi, tokenization, and digital asset entities.

There are many reasons while they could be witnessing fewer number of registered entities, especially after the UAE set up its virtual assets framework overseen by SCA ( Securities and Commodities Authority) and in Dubai with VARA ( Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority). VARA has since then set stringent rules on how VASPs can operate, market, and communicate in the UAE.

Furthermore, globally there have also been strong regulatory advancements in the United States, with more robust crypto and blockchain regulations, as well as the Genius Act for stablecoins coming into play. The same can be said for Europe with MICA, and other countries across the globe. Could this be having a negative impact on the influx of crypto and blockchain entities to the UAE or could this be a sign of more internal competitiveness within the UAE, such as DIFC, ADGM, and RAK DAO.

It might just be that the market is maturing, and so the region is witnessing a slower influx of new companies. The UAE however is still attractive especially for crypto entities who are leaving Singapore.

Regardless of the growth numbers in DMCC Crypto Center, the UAE has become the center of crypto, blockchain, and AI regionally, as Saudi Arabia enters the AI and Blockchain stage, but still shies away from crypto.