Overview

• The Ministry of Finance signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement under the OECD’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, setting first international exchanges of information for 2028.
• An eight-week public consultation running from September 15 to November 8 invites exchanges, custodians, traders and advisors to shape the UAE’s implementing rules.
• Crypto service providers operating in the UAE will need systems ready by 2027 to collect transaction-level data, verify tax residency and report to authorities.
• India is moving to mandatory virtual digital asset reporting from April 1, 2026 with international sharing reported to begin in 2027, while South Africa’s SARS has issued draft CARF rules and recent compliance notices.
• Officials and industry figures say the framework will increase transparency and regulatory certainty for crypto markets, though it raises compliance demands that could drive market consolidation.