Bitcoin First, Crypto at Scale: UAE's Layered Digital Asset Strategy

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Bitcoin first, crypto at scale: Inside the UAE's layered digital asset strategy

Abu Dhabi is anchoring Bitcoin for institutions, while Dubai builds payments, stablecoins and Web3 use cases into daily commerce.

Published: 2025-12-12 | Read: ~6 min | Category: Crypto

Abu Dhabi's Bitcoin-first institutional thesis

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, has positioned itself as a hub for Bitcoin (BTC)-focused institutional infrastructure, emphasizing custody, over-the-counter (OTC) liquidity, mining and regulated capital markets.

Davis argued that Abu Dhabi's strategy is rooted in a clear distinction between Bitcoin and the broader crypto landscape.

According to Davis, the intent to position Abu Dhabi as a center for institutional Bitcoin is already visible.

Dubai builds the crypto economy layer

Dubai's ecosystem maximizes participation and real-world usage, according to Matthias Mende, co-founder of the Dubai Blockchain Center and the founder of the Web3 social verification platform Bonuz.

He told Cointelegraph that the convergence of stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and consumer-facing apps created a new economic layer that goes beyond trading.

Key takeaways

• Abu Dhabi is anchoring Bitcoin for institutions, while Dubai builds payments, stablecoins and Web3 use cases into daily commerce.


• The UAE is deliberately building both Bitcoin and broader crypto, in different cities and for different stages of adoption.


• Dubai's ecosystem maximizes participation and real-world usage.

Conclusion

The UAE's layered digital asset strategy reflects a clear distinction between Bitcoin and the broader crypto landscape. While Dubai focuses on building the crypto economy layer, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a hub for institutional Bitcoin infrastructure.

What to watch next

• Follow Abu Dhabi's institutional Bitcoin thesis.


• Track Dubai's crypto economy development.


• Explore the intersection of Bitcoin and traditional finance.

Resources & links

• Read the original article on Cointelegraph


• View original image: UAE's layered digital asset strategy


• View original image: Michael Saylor at the Bitcoin MENA event


• View original image: pixel?postId=236194&regionId=1