The UAE has around $344 million in unrealized profits from its bitcoin. mining operations, according to Arkham on-chain data, making it one of the largest sovereign crypto plays in the world.
Wallets linked to the UAE royal group currently hold around 6,782 BTC worth around $450 million. Excluding energy costs, Arkham believes the position is deep in the green, reflecting the lower-than-average cost of years of industrial-scale mining compared to open market purchases.
Over the past seven days, the operation has produced approximately 4.2 BTC per day, suggesting that the country’s mining infrastructure remains active despite bitcoin’s recent decline from late 2025 highs and greater volatility in risk assets.
The UAE’s mining boom dates back to 2022, when Citadel Mining, linked to the Abu Dhabi royal family through International Holding Company, built large facilities on Al Reem Island.
In 2023, Marathon Digital (MARA), now renamed MARA Holdings, partnered with Abu Dhabi-based Zero Two to develop 250 megawatts of immersion-cooled mining capacity, one of the largest disclosed deployments in the region.
In August, when bitcoin was trading at higher levels, Arkham estimated the UAE’s mining holdings at more than $700 million. The latest figures reflect updated portfolio tracking and a decline in market prices rather than significant sales, with the most recent notable outflows occurring around four months ago.
Unlike the United States or the United Kingdom, whose bitcoin holdings largely come from asset seizures, the UAE’s reserves are the product of sustained mining. By holding most of its production, this Gulf country effectively converts energy and infrastructure into a strategic digital reserve that grows over time.
In a market where many mining companies have been forced to sell in weak conditions to fund their operations, the UAE appears to be doing the opposite, steadily accumulating during the drawdown.
