- The document seeks to establish uniform rules for crypto mining businesses.
- ADGM will treat crypto mining as a regular commercial business, not a financial service.
- Rules will be scaled to fit the business, with bigger mining operations having more rules.
The Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Registration Authority has published Discussion Paper No. 1 of 2026, seeking to establish uniform rules for crypto mining businesses that operate in its financial zone.
The document is now open for industry feedback until March 20, 2026, marking a significant move to create official rules for crypto mining in the Middle East’s leading financial free zones.
Main Points of the Framework
As for the paper’s contents, ADGM plans to treat crypto mining as a regular commercial business, not a financial service, which means it will be regulated by the Registration Authority. This also means that any mining company would need to get a special business license to run its operations in the ADGM zone.
The framework is meant to cover all types of crypto mining and validation, including traditional Bitcoin mining, newer stake-based methods, and future models. Anyone running these operations (whether for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies) would follow the same set of regulations.
Companies wanting a mining license would have to follow the rules of being transparent about their business and having a disclosure of beneficial ownership. Additionally, they would have to maintain strong security and operational controls. These requirements are in line with the global push for AML and CFT (anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism) compliance.
The rules will be scaled to fit the business, where bigger mining operations will have more rules to follow.
Also, the paper proposes rules for companies based in ADGM that run mining farms in other countries, to make sure they follow the same good practices even when operating abroad.
ADGM’s Digital Asset Regulatory Framework
ADGM has been steadily creating rules for digital assets over the last few years.
For instance, in 2025, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM finalized amendments enabling fiat-referenced tokens (regulated stablecoins) to be used within its financial zone.
The same year, ADGM introduced a regulatory framework for staking services, expanding its oversight to include Proof-of-Stake mechanisms.
Additionally, ADGM has given licenses to major crypto companies and has approved top stablecoins for use (such as USDT), building a stronger environment for digital assets.
Related: Abu Dhabi Regulator Approves USDT on Nine Blockchains as Tether Expands Into Robotics
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