# Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA)

> A singular approach to regulation.

VARA regulates and supervises virtual asset activities in Dubai, providing a comprehensive framework for consumer protection and industry growth.

VARA regulates the provision, use, and exchange of virtual assets in Dubai through comprehensive licensing and supervision. It provides oversight for virtual asset service providers, enforces compliance with AML requirements, and maintains a public register of licensed entities. VARA's framework enables market transparency, investor protection, and responsible innovation in the virtual asset sector.

- Type: Government
- Sector: Accounting and Legal
- Status: Active
- Founded: 2022-05-01
- Profile: https://thegrid.id/profiles/vara_ae

## Products

- [VASP Licensing Framework](https://thegrid.id/profiles/vara_ae): VARA's licensing system enables virtual asset service providers to obtain regulatory approval through a structured application process. The system facilitates compliance verification, risk assessment, and operational authorization for eight distinct regulated activities. (Legal Service Provider, Live, Main Product)
- [Public Register](https://thegrid.id/profiles/vara_ae): Maintains a transparent, publicly accessible record of all licensed Virtual Asset Service Providers in Dubai. The system displays licensing details, authorized activities, and current operational status for each registered entity. (Service Provider, Live)

## Links

- [Main](https://www.vara.ae)
- [Blog](https://www.vara.ae/en/news)
- [Documentation](https://rulebooks.vara.ae)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/varadubai)
- [Twitter / X](https://x.com/varadubai)

## Legal

This data is provided under two licensing models.

Model 1 - open data. The open data core is licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL) — a copyleft/share-alike license allowing free use, modification, and sharing for any purpose. Attribution is required: include "Powered by The Grid" linking to https://thegrid.id wherever the data is used. Derivative databases must be shared under ODbL terms. Trademarks, logos, and brand names (marked "Special TPIP") are not covered by the ODbL. For ML/AI use: training datasets that substantially extract ODbL data are Derivative Databases and must be shared under ODbL if publicly used; models must be attributed in documentation.

Model 2 - commercial licenses. The Grid Data Service (TGDS) is also available as a commercial license. See [Web Services Terms](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/web-services-terms) for commercial use that is not covered by the open data service.

The following applies to both licensing models.
- All data is provided AS IS with no guarantees of accuracy.
- The Grid does not provide investment, legal, or tax advice, and
- a project's presence in The Grid's data does not imply endorsement.


- [Data Licensing & Disclaimers](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/data-licensing-and-disclaimers): Licensing models and disclaimers
- [Open Data (ODbL)](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/open-data): Open Database License terms and scope for The Grid's open data service.
- [Attribution Guidelines](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/open-data-attribution-guidelines): How to attribute The Grid's data when using the open data service.
- [Web Services Terms](https://about.thegrid.id/legal/web-services-terms): commercial Terms for using data services.
- [All Legal Documents](https://about.thegrid.id/legal): Full index of terms, policies, and disclosures

## Optional

- [TGS Field Descriptions](https://github.com/The-Grid-Data/workspace-public/blob/main/references/tgs-field-descriptions.md): Schema field definitions for The Grid's data model
- [TGS JSON Structure](https://github.com/The-Grid-Data/workspace-public/blob/main/references/tgs-json-structure.md): Data model structure and relationships
- [Product Type Definitions](https://github.com/The-Grid-Data/workspace-public/blob/main/references/product-type-definitions.md): Definitions for each product type
- [Product Type Classification](https://github.com/The-Grid-Data/workspace-public/blob/main/references/product-type-classification.md): Guide for classifying products into types
- [Grid MCP Guide](https://github.com/The-Grid-Data/workspace-public/blob/main/grid-search/skills/grid-query/references/grid-mcp-guide.md): How to query The Grid programmatically via MCP