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DESK RESEARCH

Rain review

Bahrain-licensed crypto exchange + banking for the GCC

The verdict
7.5 / 10 · CONSIDER

Rain (Manama, founded 2017) was the first crypto firm licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain. Now operates a regulated crypto-banking offering across Bahrain, UAE (VARA), Saudi Arabia (in progress), Turkey, and Kuwait. AED, BHD, SAR, KWD, USD, EUR fiat rails + 50+ tokens.

◆ BUY IT IF
  • Strongest GCC regulatory footprint — CBB (Bahrain) + ADGM (Abu Dhabi) + Saudi pending
  • Multi-fiat-currency in-app (rare in GCC)
  • $50M raised; backed by Coatue + Paradigm + Coinbase Ventures
  • Sharia-considerate product framing — unusual editorial discipline
◇ SKIP IT IF
  • No native debit card (Rain Wallet only)
  • Smaller liquidity than Binance / OKX in GCC
  • Fees higher than EU-passported MiCA exchanges
  • Earn rates not yield-leader
§ 01 SCORE BREAKDOWN

Eight axes, weighted.

DIMENSION WEIGHT RATING SCORE
Regulatory safety
Central Bank of Bahrain Crypto-Asset Service licence (first crypto firm licensed by CBB, 2019). ADGM (Abu Dhab
9.0
Card & IBAN
No card, no IBAN
1.5×
7.0
Yield
Up to 6% APY
5.0
Coin selection
50 coins supported
6.0
App UX
8.0
Transparency
Proof of Reserves, public filings, incident history
1.5×
8.0
Fees & spreads
0.5×
7.0
Support
0.5×
7.0
§ 02 THE FIELD TEST

How we tested Rain.

Drafted from public sources — regulatory licences verified against issuing-authority registers (NYDFS, FCA, MAS, VARA, FSCA, etc.); fees verified from current published rate cards. Not yet field-tested.

DATE STEP TIME NOTES
Account opened KYC completed end-to-end
First deposit Not yet field-tested — record drafted from public sources; first-hand testing scheduled for the next review cycle.
First withdrawal Not yet field-tested — record drafted from public sources; first-hand testing scheduled for the next review cycle.
Card activated Card not supported / not ordered
Last hands-on check Drafted from public sources — regulatory licences verified against issuing-authority registers (NYDFS, FCA, MAS, VARA, FSCA, etc.); fees verified from current published rate cards. Not yet field-tested.
§ 03 SPECIFICATIONS

Everything, in one table.

Regulation
Regulatory status
Central Bank of Bahrain Crypto-Asset Service licence (first crypto firm licensed by CBB, 2019). ADGM (Abu Dhabi) Financial Services Permission. Saudi licensing in progress.
FDIC insurance
No
MiCA compliant
No
Founded
2017
HQ
Manama, Bahrain
Fees
Monthly account fee
Free
Trading fee
Withdrawal fee
Variable
Yield & products
Earn yield
3–6% on USDC + select tokens
Max APY
6%
Staking
Yes
Crypto-backed loans
No
Supported coins
50
Banking
IBAN
No
Debit card
No
DeFi access
No
NFT support
No
Regions
Regions available
GCC, AE, UAE, BH, SA, Saudi
Markets served
Support
Trustpilot
N/A
SK
Reviewed by Stephan Kulik · Last updated: · How we rank
§ 04 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rain safe? +
Rain has a regulatory status of: Central Bank of Bahrain Crypto-Asset Service licence (first crypto firm licensed by CBB, 2019). ADGM (Abu Dhabi) Financial Services Permission. Saudi licensing in progress.. Always verify current regulatory status directly with the platform before depositing.
What is the maximum APY on Rain? +
Rain currently offers up to 6% APY. Rate as of 2026-04-29. Rates change — always check the platform for current rates before depositing.
Where is Rain available? +
Rain is available in: GCC, AE, UAE, BH, SA, Saudi. Markets served: .
Does Rain have a debit card? +
No, Rain does not currently offer a debit card.
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