Crypto.com Exchange has connected to ZagTrader’s institutional trading network, giving banks, brokers and asset managers across the Middle East and North Africa another route into digital-asset markets through infrastructure already used for traditional securities.
The partnership brings Crypto.com Exchange onto the Zag Financial Network, or ZagFN, allowing ZagTrader clients to receive pricing and route orders to the digital-asset venue through their existing trading infrastructure.
For Crypto.com, the connection provides a new channel into institutional order flow across the region. ZagTrader says its network serves more than 100 institutions and connects clients to exchanges, brokers and liquidity venues across multiple asset classes.
Bridging Traditional and Digital Markets
The significance lies in how institutions can access crypto markets rather than simply adding another exchange.
ZagTrader provides trading and market infrastructure to banks, brokers and other financial institutions, with connectivity across GCC markets including ADX, DFM and Tadawul. Adding Crypto.com allows clients to access digital assets through the same broader technology stack used for traditional markets.
Shihab Khalil, founder and CEO of ZagTrader, said the partnership gives clients “a direct path to one of the largest digital asset platforms in the world,” while providing Crypto.com with access to a deeper base of institutional flow.
The agreement follows broader investment across the UAE in regulated digital-asset infrastructure. Crypto.com has already expanded its local regulatory footprint, a trend Nukoud examined in its coverage of Crypto.com’s UAE licensing and institutional expansion.
MENA’s Crypto Infrastructure Is Becoming More Institutional
The partnership fits a wider shift toward integrating digital assets into the systems already used by institutional investors rather than keeping crypto trading on separate retail-focused platforms.
That same convergence is appearing at regional exchanges. ADX, for example, has been developing digital-asset wallet and tokenization infrastructure as traditional market operators explore blockchain-based settlement, custody and tokenized securities.
For ZagTrader, Crypto.com adds another liquidity destination to its multi-asset network. For Crypto.com, the connection reduces the need to build separate integrations with individual financial institutions.
Institutional crypto adoption in the GCC is increasingly becoming an infrastructure story, with execution, liquidity, custody and compliance moving closer to the systems already used across traditional capital markets.
Who is ZagTrader?
ZagTrader is a global financial technology company providing institutional-grade infrastructure across trading, asset management, brokerage, custody, and market connectivity. Headquartered in Dubai, the firm delivers an integrated, cloud-based platform connecting financial institutions to traditional and digital markets globally.
Through the Zag Financial Network (ZagFN), more than 100 institutions representing over $500 billion in assets are directly connected, with thousands more accessible through major routing networks including Bloomberg, LSEG, and NYFIX. This broad network enables efficient institutional connectivity and execution across asset classes, markets, and regions.
ZagTrader also plays an important role in the development of regional capital-market infrastructure. The company built and supports Tabadul Hub, the cross-border digital exchange network launched by Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), and operates its infrastructure end-to-end, including participant connectivity, trading, routing, risk management, and post-trade processes. Tabadul connects participating exchanges and enables investors to access multiple regional markets through an integrated trading network.
ZagTrader’s broader platform brings together multi-asset order execution, portfolio management, risk and compliance, custody, clearing and post-trade capabilities, and digital asset infrastructure within a single ecosystem, with the objective of simplifying financial operations and improving connectivity across global markets.
