Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges UAE & Dubai

IBKR In The UAE

Interactive Brokers has recently opened an office in Dubai, as the UAE prime broker seeks to underpin its presence in the region and internationally.

The new Interactive Brokers Dubai office “will establish its presence in the Middle East”, the firm said in a statement today.

“Opening an office in DIFC underscores our commitment to focusing on clients in this important region and connecting investors worldwide to global markets,” said Interactive Brokers chief executive Milan Galik. 

“DIFC is quickly becoming a global financial hub known for embracing technology, and we are pleased to solidify our presence in the market and serve local investors.”

Several major hedge funds and other financial institutions have increased their presence in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, or relocated to the low-tax country entirely in recent years.

Among them is London-based hedge fund Brevan Howard,  which established an office Abu Dhabi last year.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) saw a 25% rise in registrations of new firms in 2023.

Interactive Brokers currently serves over three million clients in more than 200 countries and territories.  

Clients of the platform can trade on 150 markets to invest in global stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds and funds.

The firm also offers a wealth management solution for financial advisers, as well as an advanced trading platform for institutions such as family offices, which have an increasingly strong presence in Dubai.

The Launch of the new Dubai office comes after the firm announced a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s  SNB Capital earlier this month.

The Interactive Brokers Saudi tie-up makes the trading platform the first global broker to allow foreign investors to directly own and trade securities listed on the Saudi stock exchange.

Is eToro good for investing in crypto?

Yes, I’d say that eToro is a good crypto broker as they are they are regulated by the FCA for cryptocurrency activities. I’d say that eToro is better than Binance and Coinbase for crypto trading for the average investor, but for those who want more exotic cryptos and are happy to take on more risk a specialised crypto exchange may be more suitable.

2025 Awards: Best Cryptocurrency Broker

Market Access: eToro has quite a diversified range of markets to trade, so if crypto only forms a small part of your investing portfolio (as it should do)  you can also invest in other things like UK and US stocks and ETFs.

App & Online Platform:  You can withdraw cryptocurrency from eToro instead of keeping it on their trading platform, this is particularly important if you want to keep safe custody of your cryptocurrency so you don’t need to worry about, yet another crypto broker going bust.

Customer Service: Very good, you get an answer pretty quickly if you have any questions and if you accoutn is big enough you’ll get a personal account manager to help with any issues.

Research & Analysis: The social crypto trading feature is what makes eToro stand out. It’s really interesting to see what others are trading and why.

Pricing: There is a downside though to trading crypto through eToro and that’s the fees, they charge 1% commission, But this is still cheaper than Revolut and Coinbase. Generally, eToro is quite an expensive broker for crypto. eToro is expensive for crypto because quite they do at least some vetting before (as their UK MD told me) they add them to the platform, so you have a smaller chance of being caught up in a crypto pump-and-dump scam.

eToro is an FCA-regulated trading and investment platform that was founded in 2007 and currently has over 35 million registered users worldwide.

There are several benefits of buying crypto through eToro. One is that the platform has a really simple design and is therefore easy to navigate.

Another is that it offers access to a wide range of crypto-assets. Through eToro, you can invest in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and many other digital assets.

Additionally, eToro offers access to a range of crypto-based ‘Smart Portfolios’ such as CryptoPortfolio and CryptoEqual. These are essentially ready-made portfolios (they contain a mix of different crypto-assets) and they can be well suited to beginners.

It’s worth pointing out that to invest in crypto via eToro, you have to complete a short questionnaire to prove that you understand the risks. But this is relatively straightforward.

As for fees, eToro charges 1% for buying and selling crypto. So, for example, if you were to buy $2,000 worth of Bitcoin, the fee would be $20.

61% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money

eToro is a multi-asset investment platform. The value of your investments may go up or down. Your capital is at risk.

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 76% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.

Copy Trading does not amount to investment advice.  The value of your investments may go up or down.  Your capital is at risk.

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Take 2 mins to learn more

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