DTSP License: What It Is and Why It Matters for Crypto Projects
When you see a crypto project bragging about its DTSP license, a financial authorization issued by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre for certain digital asset services. Also known as Dubai Trading Services Permit, it's a real regulatory tool—but most projects using it are either misleading you or barely meeting the bare minimum. The DTSP license isn't a stamp of approval like a SEC registration. It doesn’t mean the project is safe, audited, or even fully operational. It just means they paid a fee and submitted paperwork to a specific authority in Dubai. Many crypto startups use this to look legit, even if they have no real team, no working product, and zero trading volume.
This is why you’ll see DTSP mentioned alongside projects like Ozonechain or MEFAI—both of which claim regulatory backing while offering no real utility. The DTSP license relates to crypto regulation, the growing global effort to bring order to decentralized finance through licensing, KYC, and reporting rules. It also connects to financial licensing, the formal process governments and agencies use to approve companies handling money, assets, or financial services. In places like the UAE, these licenses are easier to get than in the U.S. or EU, which is why so many crypto firms set up shop there—even if they never serve real customers. What’s more, the DTSP license doesn’t require proof of security, audit, or even a functional app. It’s paperwork, not performance.
Some projects use the DTSP license to justify their existence when they have nothing else. If a token’s whitepaper says "regulated by DTSP" but doesn’t link to the official registry or show the license number, it’s a red flag. Real licensed entities publish their credentials publicly. The blockchain compliance, the set of rules and practices crypto businesses follow to meet legal standards. isn’t just about having a permit—it’s about ongoing reporting, user protection, and transparency. Most DTSP-claiming tokens ignore all of that. Meanwhile, regulators are starting to crack down on these gray-area claims. If you’re looking at a project that leans hard on its DTSP license, ask: what are they hiding? The truth is, a license doesn’t make a bad project good. It just makes it harder to spot.
Below, you’ll find real breakdowns of crypto projects that use regulatory claims to mask weak fundamentals. Some are outright scams. Others are just confused. All of them are worth understanding before you invest.