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Chainalysis said MENA’s crypto economy was flat at $443.3 billion in the July 2025-June 2026 period, with the UAE up 32% and Türkiye still the largest market.
Chainalysis said MENA’s crypto economy was essentially unchanged in the July 2025 to June 2026 reporting period, even as the UAE expanded sharply and Türkiye remained the region’s largest market. The firm said regional crypto value received totaled $443.3 billion, down 1.4% from $449.6 billion in the prior period, with the UAE up 32% to $104.8 billion and Türkiye at $144.5 billion.
Evidence and context
In its analysis published on Oct. 26, 2026, Chainalysis said the MENA total tracked the global rate of decline and reflected a region shaped by conflict, licensing changes and capital movement rather than the bear market alone. The firm said 16 of 24 measurable MENA markets grew, but the regional figure was held down by opposite moves in Türkiye and the UAE, which together account for 56% of the regional economy.
Chainalysis described Türkiye as the region’s largest crypto economy, with all-in value received of $144.5 billion. It said the country’s domestic peer-to-peer economy grew fivefold to $3.56 billion, with most of that growth in stablecoins, while the service side shifted toward a more regulated model as new licensing rules took hold. The company quoted Turkish exchange executives saying the new regime is pushing crypto further into the traditional financial system, though it also noted that crypto payments for goods and services remain prohibited in Türkiye.
The UAE, by contrast, was presented as the fastest-growing major market in the region. Chainalysis said the country’s crypto economy rose 32% to $104.8 billion, with much of the increase coming from services. It reported that centralized exchange inflows rose 22% to $55 billion, institutional platforms increased 75% to $11.7 billion, and decentralized finance exchange inflows climbed above $31 billion. The report also said domestic P2P payments rose 786% and cross-border peer-to-peer inflows jumped 18-fold.
Chainalysis said regional conflict also affected behavior in Iran and the UAE. It reported that Iranian bitcoin transactions fell as much as 90% during the first week of a January blackout and dropped around 80% during the later blackout tied to the war, before recovering as users found ways to bypass restrictions. In the UAE, the firm said war-related uncertainty coincided with a shift toward tokenized gold holdings, while bitcoin holdings eased after the acute phase passed.
The report’s broader conclusion was that MENA’s crypto activity is being reshaped by market structure and regulatory design as much as by price conditions. Chainalysis said the UAE’s regulatory approach has helped attract institutional activity, while Türkiye’s licensing transition and Iran’s internet shutdowns pushed users toward different forms of on-chain activity. The report did not provide a verified next catalyst beyond the observation that the UAE could overtake Türkiye in the 2027 reporting period.
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