ASILA AL BADI (ABU DHABI)
The UAE has jumped to second place globally in the Henley Crypto Adoption Index 2026, reinforcing its position as a leading destination for digital asset investors.
The country climbed from fifth place last year to second this year, according to the Crypto Wealth Report 2026, released by international residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners on September 8.
Singapore held the top position for the fourth consecutive year, followed by the UAE in second place, Hong Kong in third, the United States in fourth and Switzerland in fifth.
The UAE received a perfect score of 10 out of 10 for tax-friendliness, with the report highlighting the absence of taxes on crypto trading, staking and mining.
Henley & Partners also points the UAE’s dedicated regulatory regimes for digital assets as a factor supporting its rise. The report noted that Dubai established the world’s first standalone regulator for virtual assets in 2022.
The index assesses how effectively countries embrace and regulate cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. It compares 36 countries offering residence and citizenship pathways using more than 900 data points.
Countries are assessed across six areas: public adoption, infrastructure adoption, innovation and technology, regulatory environment, economic factors and tax-friendliness. Each category is scored out of 10, producing a maximum overall score of 60.
The UAE’s performance comes as countries increasingly compete to attract globally mobile crypto investors, according to the report.
Henley & Partners said crypto wealth has made it easier for investors to move their assets across borders, making factors such as regulation, taxation, security and quality of life increasingly important when deciding where to live and invest.
The UAE also led Henley & Partners’ broader Wealth Mobility Competitiveness assessment, recording a score of 85.3 out of 100. Singapore followed with 79.5, while New Zealand scored 75.8, the Cayman Islands 74.3 and Cyprus 73.5.
The report comes as global crypto ownership continues to expand. An estimated 742 million people worldwide now hold digital assets, while 135,694 people have cryptocurrency holdings worth at least $1 million.
Of those, 92,272 are Bitcoin millionaires. The report also identified 290 people holding more than $100 million in crypto assets and 23 crypto billionaires.
The total market value of cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins, stands at around $2.6 trillion, according to the report.
Henley & Partners said increasing regulation and transparency are also changing the global crypto landscape. Seventy-six jurisdictions have committed to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, with the first automatic exchanges of information between participating jurisdictions expected to begin in September 2027.
As regulation increases, the report said the jurisdiction where crypto investors choose to live, invest and structure their wealth is becoming increasingly significant.