Emirates NBD Unveils Crypto Services Through Its Subsidiary Liv
Emirates NBD, the state-owned bank of Dubai, has introduced crypto trading services via its digital subsidiary, Liv Bank, responding to growing interest among younger generations in alternative investments.
Emirates NBD, Dubai’s state-owned bank, has started providing crypto trading services through its digital bank subsidiary, Liv. This initiative is largely motivated by the rising interest of millennials and Gen Z in alternative investments such as private equity, private debt, real estate, and infrastructure.
On March 6, 2025, Liv Bank, Aquanow, and Zodia Custody announced their collaboration in a Bloomberg article. Aquanow is a registered crypto asset service provider with Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), while Zodia Custody specializes in tailored asset custody solutions.
📣 Big news: Today, we are very excited to announce that we’ve partnered with @EmiratesNBD_AE to power crypto trading on their Liv X app! 🚀 — Aquanow (@aquanow) March 6, 2025
On March 5, 2025, Liv Bank rolled out its crypto trading features, enabling retail clients in the UAE to trade five major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, and Cardano. Liv also offers custody services through Zodia Custody on its Liv X app. Notably, Emirates NBD made a strategic investment in Zodia in late 2024.
Marwan Hadi, Emirates NBD’s group head of retail banking and wealth management, stated, “Offering cryptocurrency on Liv X is the next step towards realizing Liv’s vision of pioneering innovation and excellence.”
Liv Bank had previously started offering tokenized real-world assets (RWA) in partnership with the firm Ctrl Alt, claiming to be the first bank in the UAE to explore this opportunity.
Emirates NBD’s broader interest in Bitcoin and blockchain technology aligns with Liv Bank’s crypto trading introduction. The main bank has a history of collaborating with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce on trade finance blockchain projects since 2019 and has prioritized tokenized deposits for cross-border payments.
The UAE is seeing a significant crypto adoption surge, with local app downloads increasing by 41% last year.
Key Takeaways:
- Liv Bank launches crypto trading and custody services with Aquanow and Zodia Custody.
- Millennials and Gen Z drive retail investments in digital assets in the UAE.
- UAE’s crypto adoption surges, with local crypto app downloads increasing by 41% last year.
