The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has emerged as a pivotal market for cryptocurrency companies, witnessing a remarkable growth in the user base for crypto-related applications.

In 2024, the UAE reported a 41 percent year-on-year increase in app installations used for trading and managing cryptocurrency assets.

Research from AppsFlyer, which analyzed installation and usage patterns across 49 popular cryptocurrency applications, found that the total number of downloads in the UAE reached 15 million in the last year.

Notably, a substantial portion of these installations occurred in the second half, with December alone logging the highest monthly spike—2.8 million downloads.

Each month in the final quarter saw over 1 million installations.

Factors contributing to this surge include a rebound in the cryptocurrency market.

This upswing has been linked to various economic indicators and political developments, notably the recent United States electoral results, which included pro-cryptocurrency rhetoric from candidates such as Donald Trump.

Marketing strategies have also played a critical role in this context.

According to the insights provided by Shani Rosenfelder, director of market insights at AppsFlyer, 60 percent of the traffic to crypto applications in 2024 resulted from intensified marketing efforts.

This has underscored the necessity for targeted campaigns to capture and retain users in a competitive environment.

However, the analysis reveals challenges in user retention, as one in five cryptocurrency apps is uninstalled within just 30 days of installation.

This statistic highlights the imperative for companies to enhance user experience and provide effective onboarding processes to mitigate churn rates.

The current favorable market outlook presents a prime opportunity for crypto companies to expand their presence and user engagement in the UAE's rapidly evolving financial landscape.