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 regions 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 worlds 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 theres clear public interest in digital assets. Meanwhile, the North African countries, such as Morocco, show robust grassroots adoption despite stricter regulations.
