The ADGM Registration Authority on 28 October 2026 published the region's first dedicated guidance on crypto mining. The document introduces a standalone commercial activity 7230 licence and draws a clear boundary between mining and regulated financial services. We break down what operators get and what to prepare before filing an application.
What ADGM published on 28 October
«Guidance on Crypto Mining Activities in and from ADGM» was issued by the Registration Authority (RA) of ADGM on 28 October 2026. In the RA's own words, Abu Dhabi Global Market has become the first international financial centre in the region to publish dedicated crypto mining guidance. The legal basis is section 23 of the Commercial Licensing Regulations 2025.
The release concluded an eight-week public consultation that ADGM ran earlier in 2026. H.E. Rashed Al Blooshi, CEO of the RA, said that Abu Dhabi's economy «is increasingly shaped by digital infrastructure» and that ADGM «is open to responsible crypto mining».
How the 7230 licence works
The guidance treats crypto mining not as a regulated financial service (that remains FSRA territory) but as a licensable commercial activity under RA supervision. A dedicated activity code — 7230 — is assigned to it. The approach is technology-neutral: the licence covers Proof-of-Work, Proof-of-Stake and future consensus mechanisms.
Key applicant requirements at filing:
- disclosure of corporate structure and ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO);
- confidential disclosure of on-chain reward-flow addresses — a key differentiator from a plain commercial licence;
- high standards of governance, transparency and operational integrity, scaled to the size of the operation;
- a pre-application self-assessment to draw the line between commercial activity and FSRA-regulated financial services.
How mining differs from fintech in ADGM
Historically, ADGM licenses crypto trading, custody and token issuance through the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). Those are regulated financial services, carrying the full set of prudential and AML requirements. Mining is a different story.
The new guidance is explicit: technological block production and transaction processing are not a financial service. Mining therefore sits under the Registration Authority, not FSRA. For operators this means they do not need to meet finance-house capital rules — but they still need standard corporate preparation, ownership transparency and operational controls.
For crypto businesses already active in the UAE, the picture now looks like this: trading and custody — through FSRA in ADGM or through a VARA licence in Dubai; mining — through the ADGM Registration Authority under code 7230.
What this means for the UAE crypto business
For operators previously sitting in a grey area between commercial and financial regulation — or running mining units under a generic commercial licence without a dedicated code — a standalone licence is a signal of regulatory maturity. The business now has a clear name you can present to banks, beneficiaries and auditors.
Three practical takeaways:
- A 7230 structure is not a financial-licence structure. Corporate preparation is closer to a standard ADGM entity, with added UBO and on-chain disclosure duties. When moving from a free zone, check who your regulator is and how the pre-application self-assessment resolves.
- Reasonable oversight for headquarters. If an ADGM entity oversees a global mining group, supervision is «reasonable», scaled to size and risk profile. That simplifies filings for foreign subsidiaries.
- This is phase one. A fuller regulatory framework will follow: the RA has stated it will continue market consultation before the next version of the rules. Operators have a reason to enter now — during one of the first windows, while requirements are still shaped with industry input.
Choosing the venue itself — ADGM, DIFC, DMCC or another zone — is helped by our comparison of UAE free zones: each has its own tax, substance and banking profile.
Prepared by the garant.consulting editorial team on the basis of the official ADGM Registration Authority press release of 28 October 2026 and the published PDF «Guidance on Crypto Mining Activities». Publisher — Garant Business Consultancy DMCC, Dubai.
