End-to-End VARA Licensing for Crypto Financial Institutions entering Dubai
ATHANOR Compliance provides a full-service licensing solution for crypto firms entering Dubai. We manage the VARA license application, operational compliance, regulatory engagement and act as your internal regulatory lead - best for teams who need fast, reliable, and executable results.
About Athanor
I’m Irma Külaviir, founder of ATHANOR Compliance, a regulatory consultancy guiding crypto-financial institutions through Dubai’s VARA licensing and compliance frameworks.
My background spans more than a decade in fintech and digital assets. At Wise (TransferWise), I was among the early team that built the company’s operational foundations as it scaled globally. Later, at bitFlyer Europe, Japan’s largest crypto exchange at the time, I led licensing and audit preparation, established AML/KYC frameworks, and implemented blockchain surveillance systems under CSSF supervision.
Since 2020, I’ve advised regulated fintech and Web3 firms across Europe, the UK, LATAM, MENA, and APAC markets, leading licensing applications, banking integrations, and compliance framework designs for business lines including exchanges, fiat on/off ramp, OTC desks, and market-making operations.
ATHANOR Compliance was founded to give high-growth firms a different kind of regulatory partner - one that operates with you, not above you. We embed within your processes, deliver regulator-ready frameworks, and stay through execution from the first draft to license in hand.
Every engagement is hands-on and personal: no templates or handoffs, no theory detached from reality. ATHANOR gives ambitious companies the clarity and credibility to scale in Dubai and beyond while being fully aligned with regulation.
Services
Why choose Athanor
OPTION | ATHANOR | Big Firms / Law Firms | Offshore Agencies |
|---|---|---|---|
APPROACH | Embedded, execution-led | Advisory and template-driven | Copy-paste paperwork |
SPEED | Fast, thorough, founder-led | Slow cycles, junior handoffs | Fast but can be superficial |
LOCAL INSIGHTS | On the ground in Dubai; real regulator experience | Remote or policy-level understanding | No local presence |
DELIVERY | We own the process from draft to license | You fill in the gaps | You chase updates |
POST-LICENCE SUPPORT | Stay on for real compliance | Engagement ends at license | No follow-up |
MAIN VALUE | Precision, trust, outcomes | Brand trust and comfort | Lower pricing (potentially), but also high-risk |
Overview of Process
Discovery Call (qualification & fit)
Defining the Scope of Project
Proposal & Agreement
Full Licensing Delivery
Trusted by teams who don't have time to get it wrong
Yana Afanesieva
A world leading authority in FinTech compliance and regulations with a particular focus on early stage startups. Ex-Paypal, Ex-Amazon, Founder of Competitive Compliance GmbH.
I had the pleasure of working with Irma on a variety of compliance, licensing, and regulatory projects since 2017, where I also had the opportunity to be her manager and her peer on several engagements. Over the years, I’ve witnessed her impressive professional growth. Irma is dependable, detail-oriented, and relentless in her pursuit of the highest standards. She has a unique ability to dive into complex and unusual cases with curiosity and rigor, while always ensuring her recommendations are pragmatic, actionable, and aligned with business objectives. Any FinTech or Crypto company would be fortunate to have Irma as a trusted advisor.
Kagwe Njoroge
Head of Trading Operations of Keyrock. World leading crypto OTC trading, Market Making and Liquidity provider.
Irma joined our efforts in enhancing our banking and custody infrastructure by an intense 6 months of progressing our onboarding efforts across multiple institutional and globally leading banking, payment and digital asset custody providers. Her tenacity, project management and ability to manage processes with multiple external parties made a very significant difference. She demonstrated an ability to learn quickly, use her networks in the sector and communicate with external counterparties in a manner that made this time sensitive project progress quickly. Highly recommend her to any high performing team.
From application to Approval
Schedule a call below and let’s talk through your current position and what it will take to get licensed.
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