Dubai, UAE – Global payments advisory firm Capitalixe has announced its expansion into Dubai, marking a strategic step into the Middle East to serve high-growth “high-risk” fintech, crypto and CFD brokerage sectors.
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ToggleStrategic Move into the UAE
Capitalixe — specialising in banking infrastructure, payment solutions and compliance services for companies often deemed “high risk” by traditional financial institutions — has relocated its co-founders, Ivan Kovachev and Lissele Pratt, to Dubai to establish a regional base. rscores Dubai’s emergence as a preferred global hub for fintech innovation, regulatory clarity and cross-border financial services. The UAE’s digital-finance ecosystem, regulatory enhancements and MENA-gateway status offered by the region are key to Capitalixe’s pivot. \
Targeting Underserved High-Growth Sectors
The firm’s focus is on providing multi-currency banking accounts, payment gateways and advisory services to startups, crypto exchanges and CFD brokerage firms that traditionally faced difficulties accessing compliant banking and payment infrastructure. Many of these operate in the “high risk” category due to regulatory scrutiny, complex compliance needs or cross-border business models
By locating in Dubai, Capitalixe aims to shorten onboarding cycles, strengthen local relationships and align with regional regulations, giving its clients a stronger base for scaling operations in the MENA region.
- Regulatory validation: The move affirms that Dubai and the UAE are increasingly attractive for fintech companies that require sophisticated banking/payment rails and regulatory legitimacy.
- Ecosystem growth: The presence of a specialist firm like Capitalixe supports the broader fintech-payments ecosystem by filling gaps in infrastructure and compliance services for niche segments.
- Regional expansion gateway: This initiative signals the UAE’s continued positioning as a bridge between Asia, Europe and Africa for fintech, payments and digital asset operations.
- Competitive edge: For companies with complex business models (crypto, CFDs, multi-jurisdictional payments), Dubai may now offer improved access to service providers that understand “high-risk” operational nuance.
What to Watch
- Regulatory developments: The UAE’s Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA) and other regulators continue to refine frameworks for crypto, CFDs and fintech. How firms like Capitalixe navigate these will be instructive.
- Client onboarding and growth: Success for Capitalixe will depend on how quickly it can establish partnerships with banks and payments providers locally, and how many clients it can onboard from the high-risk segment.
- Competition and talent: Other global fintech service providers may follow this playbook and open regional offices or partnerships in the UAE, intensifying competition for both clients and talent.
Conclusion
Capitalixe’s expansion into Dubai may appear niche, but it represents a larger trend: the maturation of the UAE fintech-payments ecosystem to support not only mainstream financial services but also more complex, regulatory-challenged business models. For Arabian Business Times readers, this move signals the UAE’s growing sophistication as a regional fintech operations hub—not just for standard payments, but for advanced, high-growth segments.
