Quick Breakdown
- •Ruya Bank is the first Islamic bank worldwide to offer Bitcoin purchases on its platform.
- •The service is entirely Sharia-compliant, integrating Islamic finance principles with access to digital assets.
- •This move strengthens the UAE’s position as a leading crypto hub and opens new revenue streams.
Sharia-Compliant Bitcoin Trading Unveiled
According to reports, Ruya Bank, a digital-first Islamic bank based in the UAE, has made history by becoming the first Islamic bank globally to allow customers to buy and sell Bitcoin directly through its mobile application.
JUST IN: 🇦🇪 UAE’s ruya becomes the first Islamic bank to allow customers to buy and sell Bitcoin
CEO: “All Bitcoin investments via Ruya are fully Shari’ah-compliant, giving customers confidence and clarity.” 🙌
December 8, 2025
This groundbreaking service integrates strict Sharia principles, ensuring compliance with Islamic ethical finance principles while providing secure, transparent access to virtual assets. The platform’s collaboration with the licensed digital asset infrastructure provider Fuze enhances trust and operational security for customers. This development marks a significant milestone for Islamic finance by bridging the gap between traditional financial ethics and modern cryptocurrency technology.
Boosting the UAE’s Crypto Ecosystem and Adoption
Ruya Bank’s Bitcoin trading initiative aligns with the UAE’s broader strategy to position itself as a virtual asset hub. The country recorded over $30 billion in virtual asset transactions in the preceding year, a 42% increase and four times the regional average. By enabling customers to purchase Bitcoin within a regulated, Sharia-compliant banking environment, Ruya Bank is likely to drive higher cryptocurrency adoption, especially among investors prioritizing ethical investing. This move also opens new revenue opportunities through transaction fees and related services and enhances the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies within Islamic finance.
Notably, Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, has reversed his earlier skeptical stance toward crypto, as evidenced by the success of the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). Despite this institutional adoption, Fink still labels Bitcoin as an “asset of fear,” linking its volatile price to shifts in global geopolitical stability. The ongoing market risks inherent in this volatility were underscored by significant outflows from IBIT in November, even after the fund had accumulated billions in total assets. This strategic change ultimately reflects Fink’s conviction that asset tokenization will be the next major transformation in traditional finance.