GC Exchange FZE, the Dubai based subsidiary of digital prime brokerage GCEX, has announced that the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has approved the appointment of Alya Marrakchi as Managing Director. GCEX is a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) regulated by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai to provide Broker-Dealer Services.

Alya joined GCEX’s sales team in June 2025, originating and building institutional relationships for the firm across the UAE and wider GCC market. In just over a year, she has grown GCEX’s regional client base and pipeline at pace, becoming a driving force behind the firm’s institutional growth in the Middle East. Her appointment to Managing Director reflects that momentum as GCEX focuses on building out its regional leadership and scaling its business.

Alya’s promotion follows the departure late last year of GCEX Dubai Managing Director Mehtap Önder, who moved to crypto platform Fasset. Earlier this year former Finalto MENA executive Mohammed A. Mulla joined as a Board Member of GCEX’s Dubai-based entity.

Before joining GCEX, Alya held senior business development roles at Hubpay, an FSRA-regulated cross-border payments provider, and at Clarify B2B in London, where she led enterprise sales programmes for global technology clients. She began her career at RisKover, a Moody’s Analytics partner specialising in financial regulation and risk, where she also supported the firm’s market entry into Dubai. Alya holds a Master’s degree in International Marketing and Business Development from SKEMA Business School in Paris and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics and Marketing from IHEC Carthage in Tunisia. Fluent in English, Arabic and French, and with career experience spanning Paris, London, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Alya brings genuine cross-market and cross-cultural reach to a region where relationships and trust are the foundation for growth.

Lars Holst, Founder and CEO of GCEX, commented,

“Alya has built real commercial momentum for GCEX across the UAE and GCC since she joined last year. She understands the region, she understands our institutional clients, and she has the languages and relationships to back it up. Promoting her to Managing Director is about giving her the mandate to match the impact she’s already having.”

Alya Marrakchi, whose appointment as Managing Director has been approved by VARA, added,

“The Middle East is one of the fastest-moving regulated digital asset markets globally, and leading GC Exchange FZE as Managing Director is a real opportunity to build on the trust we’ve established with institutional clients and to grow the team around that. I’m looking forward to it.”

Through its separately regulated group entities, GCEX Group provides institutional and professional clients with access to virtual-asset liquidity, FX and CFD products, and technology solutions. The availability of particular products and services depends on the relevant GCEX entity, jurisdiction and regulatory permissions.

The GCEX Group is headquartered in London, with multiple offices across the globe. GC Exchange FZE has a Virtual Asset Service Provider license from the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. In addition, GC Exchange Limited is authorised and regulated by the UK’s FCA and relevant Danish GCEX entities are authorised and regulated by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Finanstilsynet) as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and as a Currency. True Global Ventures is investor in GCEX.

About GCEX

Founded in 2018, GCEX is a pioneering regulated digital prime brokerage with a best-of-breed digital asset and FX platform for institutional and professional clients. GCEX has partnerships with Tier 1 trusted Liquidity Providers, leading counterparties and regulated digital custody asset institutions. GCEX offers a wide range of products and technology solutions including White Labels.