Bybit has just joined the growing list of cryptocurrency exchanges that have settled in Dubai after the emirate embarked on a path to becoming a crypto-friendly destination with a robust regulatory regime.

Founded in 2018, Bybit currently has over two million registered users, who use the exchange to buy, sell, trade, and earn with cryptocurrencies.

According to the official announcement, Bybit wants to move its headquarters to Dubai and offer a full suite of products and services in the UAE from April 2022 onwards.

“We are pleased to announce that Bybit has received in-principle approval to conduct a full spectrum of virtual assets business in the UAE,” states the exchange in the official announcement.

Bybit attracts cryptocurrency users with its intuitive trading platform and 99.9 percent availability track record. In addition to spot trading, Bybit users can also speculate, hedge, and increase leverage with futures contracts.

Other cryptocurrency exchanges that have a virtual asset to operate in Dubai include Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and Crypto.com, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange powered by the CRO token.

“Virtual assets such as cryptocurrency and blockchain have changed finance forever,” said H.E. Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade and Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention. “To stay ahead in this fast-changing industry, we are building a business-friendly ecosystem with robust regulations to attract, retain and enable high-growth companies.”

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So far, the effort is bearing fruit because the Middle East is one of the fastest-growing cryptocurrency markets in the world, accounting for 6.6 percent of global cryptocurrency activity.

In the UAE alone, the digital economy contributes around 4.3 percent to the gross domestic product, and the number is expected to increase as more and more exchanges like Bybit take advantage of the favorable regulatory environment.