Emirates has officially launched Crypto.com Pay, enabling eligible UAE residents to use cryptocurrency for flight bookings through emirates.com and the Emirates App. The new payment option went live on July 28, 2026, and requires all bookings to be both priced and settled in UAE dirhams (AED). Customers must also hold an active Crypto.com account to complete transactions.

The rollout fulfills a partnership first announced by Emirates and Crypto.com in July 2025, when the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding that made the deployment contingent on technical readiness and regulatory approval.

In an announcement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Emirates confirmed the launch:

We've officially launched @cryptocom Pay, allowing eligible UAE residents to book using the digital payment solution on our website and app. pic.twitter.com/XaViajqVms — Emirates (@emirates) July 28, 2026

How the Payment Process Works

When an itinerary meets the eligibility conditions, Crypto.com Pay appears as a payment option at checkout. The service is currently restricted to UAE residents and does not support bookings priced in currencies other than AED.

Emirates did not disclose the full list of cryptocurrencies supported through the payment system. Details regarding transaction fees, exchange rate policies, and refund processing procedures were also not specified in the announcement.

According to the airline, Emirates does not directly accept any specific cryptocurrency. Instead, transactions are funded via Crypto.com Pay, while Emirates receives payment in dirhams. This structure means Emirates itself does not take cryptocurrency onto its balance sheet, with Crypto.com handling the conversion and assuming responsibility for the digital asset side of the transaction. On mobile devices, the booking process requires users to switch between the Emirates App and the Crypto.com app. After selecting Crypto.com Pay at checkout, the user is redirected to Crypto.com, where the wallet transaction is approved before returning to the Emirates app for confirmation and issuance of the e-ticket receipt.

Strategic Rationale

Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim connected the initiative to the preferences of younger, digitally proficient travelers, stating that the payment option reflects evolving customer expectations for how they interact and transact.

"Bringing this initiative to life delivers on our commitment to expanding customer choice in how they pay for travel," said Kazim.

Crypto.com confirmed that the integration is provided by Foris DAX Middle East FZE, an entity operating under a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license issued by the Central Bank of the UAE. In May, Crypto.com announced it had become the first UAE-licensed virtual asset service provider to obtain that license. The licensing milestone came as the UAE continued building out its digital assets regulatory framework, which includes the Central Bank's oversight of stored value facilities and Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), established in 2022 to regulate virtual asset activities within the emirate.

The SVF license also underpins a separate arrangement between Crypto.com and the Dubai government, which permits settlements in dirhams or permitted dirham-pegged stablecoins. That government payment system operates independently from the Emirates commercial integration.

Alignment with Dubai Cashless Strategy

The Emirates deployment aligns with the broader Dubai Cashless Strategy, which seeks to establish an integrated framework for digital and crypto payments across the emirate. The strategy targets 90% cashless payment adoption across both public and private sectors by the end of 2026.

As one of the world's largest long-haul carriers and Dubai's flagship airline, Emirates' adoption of a regulated crypto payment channel represents a high-profile commercial deployment under that policy umbrella. However, the limited scope of the initial rollout — restricted to UAE residents booking in AED — means the impact on overall booking volumes remains uncertain.

Neither Emirates nor Crypto.com disclosed a timeline for expanding the payment service to additional markets, customer segments, or currencies. The companies also did not indicate when they would announce the full list of supported assets, refund policies, or exchange rate terms. For now, the crypto payments option remains limited to eligible UAE residents booking AED-priced flights online.