PANews reported on November 25th that, according to Cointelegraph, the UAE's Federal Decree No. 6 of 2025, effective September 16, 2025, brings DeFi and Web3 activities such as payments, lending, trading, and custody under the central bank's regulation, ending the "pure code" excuse. Those engaging in related activities without a license will face fines of up to 1 billion dirhams (approximately US$272 million). While the law does not prohibit self-custodied wallets, services involving payment functions must be assessed for compliance with licensing requirements. Companies must complete compliance adjustments by September 2026.