Overview
- Effective Jan. 12, the DFSA’s updated framework prohibits DIFC‑regulated firms from using, trading, promoting or offering derivatives on privacy coins.
- Mixers, tumblers and other transaction‑obfuscation tools are barred for firms operating in or from the DIFC.
- The regulator has scrapped its public whitelist as licensed entities must now assess, document and continuously review the suitability of tokens they list.
- Stablecoins allowed in the financial center must be fiat‑pegged with high‑quality, liquid reserves, while algorithmic designs are treated as general crypto assets rather than stablecoins.
- The restrictions target regulated entities rather than individual holders, and several reports noted price gains for Monero and Zcash following the announcement.