Key points
- An order has up to four stages, and each has a different owner: you, your bank, the broker-dealer and the blockchain.
- MKX's site says verification is usually completed within minutes. It publishes no time for AED deposits, AED withdrawals or crypto withdrawals.
- Your own bank's transfer time comes on top and is outside MKX's control.
- The trade happens when you confirm it, at the price on the trade execution screen, so the price can differ from the one you saw earlier.
- If something looks late, trace it with the bank's transfer reference or the transaction hash.
The short answer
There is no single figure. A first order passes through verification, the arrival of your AED, the trade and an optional withdrawal. MKX's product pages say verification is usually completed within minutes; its FAQ says it does not publish processing times for AED deposits or withdrawals. Treat any promised total, from any provider, as unverified until you have seen it in writing.
This page separates the waits so you can see which are yours to control. The steps themselves are set out in the guides to buying USDT in Dubai and buying Bitcoin with AED.
The four stages
| Stage | Who controls the time | What MKX publishes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Verification | You and MKX | Usually completed within minutes |
| 2. AED bank transfer in | Your bank, then MKX | No processing time published |
| 3. Trade | You, when you confirm | Final price and 1.5% fee shown before you confirm; no execution time published |
| 4. Crypto withdrawal | MKX, then the blockchain | No processing time published |
Only the first-ever order includes stage 1. Later orders skip it, and you can skip stage 4 by leaving the crypto in your MKX wallet.
Stage 1: verification
Before any trade, MKX asks you to upload an Emirates ID or a passport and to complete a liveness check, which is a camera prompt showing that a real person is present. You must be at least 18. MKX's product pages say this is usually completed within minutes. The word "usually" matters: whether proof of address or source of funds is also requested is not published, and a request for more information would lengthen this stage. The glossary defines KYC and the liveness check.
Stage 2: the AED transfer
You fund the account by bank transfer in dirhams from a local UAE bank account. The minimum deposit is AED 380 and MKX charges 0% on it. MKX does not publish how long a deposit takes to reach your balance. Two clocks run here: how long your bank takes to send the payment, and how long MKX takes to match it to your account. The first is outside MKX's control, and your bank may charge for the transfer; that charge is the bank's, not MKX's.
Two practical points reduce avoidable delay. Read the deposit screen for the reference to quote, and check whether the sending account must be in your own name, which MKX has not published. Asking support before you send from a joint or company account is cheaper than tracing a payment afterwards.
Dirhams held for clients sit in a Client Money Account with a regulated financial institution licensed in the UAE. The security page explains what MKX publishes about custody and what it does not.
Stage 3: the trade
Once AED is in your balance, the conversion is the step you control. MKX's buy pages say the first price you see is indicative, not a quotation, and that the final price and the 1.5% trading fee appear on the trade execution screen before you confirm. MKX is a broker-dealer, not an order-book exchange, so you trade against the price it shows rather than waiting for another user to match you.
Speed here has a cost of its own: crypto prices can move within hours, as the MKX risk disclosure says. If you fund the account and wait, the amount of crypto your AED buys may be different when you finally confirm. MKX does not publish a spread, so the quoted price is the second number to check after the fee. The fees page lists the 1.5% fee, and nothing on it describes a faster or priority service.
Stage 4: withdrawing crypto
Crypto bought with AED can stay in your MKX wallet. If you send it out, two further waits apply: MKX's own processing, which it does not publish a time for, and confirmation on the blockchain you chose, which depends on that network. The choice of network is made at withdrawal, not at purchase. MKX lists the same terms across its five USDT networks: a minimum of 15 USDT and a fixed 5 USDT external fee. For Bitcoin, the external withdrawal fee on the fee schedule is 0.0001 BTC.
A transfer on the wrong network can be lost, so a few minutes spent checking the address format is time well used. Once the transfer is sent you get a transaction hash, which you can paste into a public block explorer to follow it.
Selling and receiving AED
The route back to dirhams has the same shape in reverse: the crypto arrives, you sell it, and the AED is paid to a UAE bank account. The AED withdrawal fee on the fee schedule is 30, and payouts start from AED 100. MKX does not say how long a payout takes to arrive, and your bank's own handling of an incoming credit comes on top. The guide to selling USDT in Dubai covers the steps, and the comparison of cash-out routes sets licensed firms beside P2P and OTC options.
If an order seems slow
- Check the stage. Is the account verified, is the AED showing in your balance, has the trade been confirmed, has a withdrawal been sent?
- Find the reference. For an AED payment, use the bank's transfer reference. For a crypto withdrawal, use the transaction hash.
- Contact support. Email [email protected] with the reference, your account email and the time you sent it. MKX's FAQ says these let the team trace a payment.
- Do not send the money twice. Wait for an answer first.
- Escalate if needed. The complaints page describes the formal route.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to buy crypto with AED at MKX?
MKX does not publish a total time. Its product pages say identity verification is usually completed within minutes, but it publishes no processing time for AED deposits, AED withdrawals or crypto withdrawals. The time your bank takes comes on top and is outside MKX's control.
Is the trade itself instant?
MKX's pages describe a trade execution screen that shows the final price and the 1.5% fee before you confirm, but they publish no execution time. Once AED is in your balance, the conversion is the step you control, because it happens when you confirm.
Why has my AED transfer not arrived?
The cause may sit with your bank, with MKX's checks or with a detail on the transfer. MKX's FAQ advises sending the bank's transfer reference to MKX support so that the payment can be traced. Do not send the money again before you have asked.
How long does a crypto withdrawal take?
MKX publishes no withdrawal processing time. After MKX sends the transfer, the receiving network must confirm it, and that depends on the blockchain you chose. The transaction hash lets you follow the transfer on a block explorer.
Does the speed of an order change what I pay?
Not on MKX's published fee schedule, which lists one trading fee of 1.5% and does not describe a priority or express option. The price can move while you wait, so the amount of crypto you receive depends on the price at the moment you confirm the trade.
What should I send to support if an order seems slow?
Send the bank's transfer reference for an AED payment, or the transaction hash for a crypto withdrawal, with your account email and the time you sent it. MKX's FAQ says these let the team trace the payment.
Sources
Each MKX page was read on the date shown. MKX's published pages state no processing times beyond those quoted here, and none have been assumed.
- MKX, FAQ: https://mkxotc.com/faq/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
- MKX, Fees: https://mkxotc.com/fees/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
- MKX, Buy USDT: https://mkxotc.com/buy-usdt/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
- MKX, Buy Bitcoin: https://mkxotc.com/buy-bitcoin/ (accessed 18 October 2026)
- Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), register entry for MKX Virtual Assets Broker & Dealer Services L.L.C.: https://www.vara.ae/en/licenses-and-register/public-register/mkx-virtual-assets-broker-dealer-services-llc/ (not re-read on 18 October 2026; licence reference as stated in the MKX footer)
For information only, not investment advice, legal advice or tax advice. Capital is at risk. Providers' terms change, so confirm current limits, fees and timings with the firm before you act.