UAE crypto apps hit 15M downloads in 2024

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced a significant surge in cryptocurrency app adoption in 2024.

According to data from AppsFlyer, downloads of the top 49 crypto apps in the UAE jumped to 15 million, marking a 41% increase from 6.2 million in 2023.

The surge was most pronounced in the latter half of 2024, with installs exceeding 1 million per month in the final quarter.

December alone saw a record 2.8 million downloads.

AppsFlyer attributed this growth to several factors, including Donald Trump's U.S. presidential election victory and his pro-crypto stance.

Shani Rosenfelder, Director of Market Insights at AppsFlyer, stated that Trump's emphasis on crypto played a role in the adoption of crypto apps.

"There has been a strong correlation between these market factors and the UAE’s crypto market momentum," Rosenfelder noted.

Trump's launch of his own memecoin in January also attracted new investors to crypto.

However, a Chainalysis report indicated that 813,000 crypto wallets lost up to $2 billion after purchasing the token.

Aggressive marketing efforts drove 60% of the crypto app traffic in 2024.

Despite the increase in downloads, user retention remains a challenge, with one in five apps uninstalled within 30 days on Android devices.

In January 2025, crypto app installs in the UAE reached nearly 3.5 million, exceeding half of all installs seen in 2023.

“Clearly, there’s still tremendous potential to be had, and with 2025 on track to be a record-setting year, prudent crypto app marketers must use every tool in their arsenal to gain and retain market share,” Rosenfelder added.