Australian Treasury consultation
In 2022, Victoria signed Alt Law’s published submission on proposed licensing and custody rules for crypto-asset service providers in Australia.
Read the submissionPrincipal & Co-Founder
Victoria Wells
Tokenization, crypto & Web3 lawyer in Dubai
Tokenizing a real-world asset, launching a token or choosing where to set up? Victoria helps you work through the legal structure, licensing and investor questions before you commit.
Verified profileLinkedIn
$500M+Token raises structured
8+Jurisdictions
25+Jurisdictional analyses
Former CLOIlluvium
Meet Victoria
Experience behind the advice.
Victoria Wells is Principal and Co-Founder of Ape Law, a UAE-based law firm working with tokenization, crypto and Web3 businesses worldwide. Her work covers real-world assets, token launches, digital-asset licensing, funds and cross-border structures.
Victoria served as Chief Legal Officer at Illuvium while also co-founding Ape Law. She led a VARA application covering exchange, broker-dealer, custody and asset management activities, and helped the DAO secure banking in the UAE.
She previously founded Alt Law in Australia. Her published work includes the first-ever ADGM VC fund manager licence permitting investment into virtual assets, SAFTs, SAFEs and token warrants, alongside token raises, market-entry strategies and urgent restructuring.
Her professional background also includes serving as Vice President of LawFi DAO and membership of LexDAO and the MENA Fintech Association.
Beyond Ape Law
Project Get Out
Founding partner · Separate venture
Victoria founded Project Get Out with Stephan Roberto, Matthew Cameron and Felicity Morgan. She brings legal and international-structuring experience to its relocation guides.
Project Get Out publishes relocation guidance. Legal services are agreed separately with the relevant adviser.
Check the sources
Professional record & service scope.
LexDAO study group
LexDAO named Victoria as a speaker for its discussion of cross-border crypto services and reverse solicitation.
See the event announcementOceanBlocks team profile
OceanBlocks lists Victoria on its team page and describes her corporate-law and Web3 regulatory work. The page does not date the role or describe a specific client matter.
View the OceanBlocks profileWho provides the legal services?
Ape Law’s published terms identify Alt Legal Consultants FZ-LLC as the UAE entity trading as Ape Law and state that trade licence 47007743 permits legal consultancy and advice on UAE law. An engagement letter sets out the scope of work and the entity or office providing advice. For a cross-border matter, confirm which advisers cover each country before engaging.
Read Ape Law’s terms of businessTrack record
Selected work
Real-world assets & token launches
Advised a fractional real-world asset issuer on token design and how to market to a global audience. Led legal support for an ERC-404 token launch and listing, and structured options for a GameFi DAO.
RWA tokenizationADGM & digital-asset licensing
Obtained the first-ever VC fund manager licence in ADGM permitting investment into virtual assets, SAFTs, SAFEs and token warrants. Her work also includes regulatory strategy for exchanges across VARA, ADGM and DIFC.
Fund manager licensingIlluvium & GameFi
As Chief Legal Officer at Illuvium, led a VARA application covering exchange, broker-dealer, custody and asset management activities. Helped make Illuvium the first DAO to secure banking in the UAE.
GameFi legal adviceCross-border legal strategy
Created a market-entry strategy for a tokenized securities platform across Singapore, the UAE and the EU. Advised a Layer 1 protocol and a DeFi investment DAO on business structures and regulatory risk across markets.
Cross-border structuresFounder disputes & urgent restructuring
Handled emergency restructuring for projects facing regulatory risk, supported teams during live token launches and resolved founder disputes involving assets held across jurisdictions.
Founder disputesOngoing legal leadership
Before Ape Law, Victoria founded Alt Law in Australia. Her work combines legal leadership with hands-on support for founders, funds and digital-asset businesses as they launch and grow.
Ongoing legal supportExternal coverage
In the press.
Two newspaper stories quote Victoria, and a 2017 Lawyers Weekly report names her as a consultant. The 2026 story appeared in three editions; Daily WA separately mentioned her on Instagram.
Fed up with taxes, Aussies are following Adrian Portelli to Dubai. The ATO is watching
Victoria Wells was quoted on Australians considering a move to Dubai. The story discusses Australian tax residency and names Ape Law, Project Get Out and Stephan Roberto.
One report, published across three newspapers. A subscription may be required.
Solana blockchain seeks UAE foothold with Founders' Villa event
The National identified Victoria as a Dubai-based crypto lawyer and quoted her on stablecoins and regulatory attention in MENA.
Read the articleDentons takes up residence in Melbourne
In its report on Dentons opening a Melbourne office, Lawyers Weekly named Victoria Wells as a consultant in the incoming team from Nick Stretch Legal. This is a historical mention, not a report on her current Ape Law work.
Read the articleSocial mentions
View post on Instagram ↗Daily WA mentioned Victoria Wells and Project Get Out in a post about Australians considering Dubai.
Your project
Where do you need help?
What clients say
In their words.
Victoria from ApeLaw is our chief legal officer and like no other. Her unique blend of web-native legal expertise, enthusiasm for her work and unperturbed commitment to navigating regulatory uncertainty set her apart. Her energy, speed, and fearlessness are invaluable in navigating the legal complexities of GameFi and Web3.
Victoria and her team bring an exceptional level of depth and clarity to what is often a complex and fragmented regulatory environment. Her detailed understanding of the various regulatory frameworks for digital asset businesses in the UAE from VARA to ADGM to DIFC is truly par excellence. Her ability to parse regulatory intent, anticipate implementation risks, and translate that into operational impact is unmatched in our experience.
Ape Law was our go to for best-in-field legal advice and tokenomics for our fine art asset token launch. Their expertise across our issue and launch jurisdictions, web-native perspective and network have supported us in taking our venture from a concept to reality. They are partners in our artistic revolution.
Published work
Read Victoria’s articles.
Legal Teams & Advice
View all articles by Victoria WellsShould you hire in-house counsel or fractional GC for your crypto firm?
Compare continuity, specialist coverage, cost and responsibility before choosing in-house counsel, fractional GC or a mixed team.
Tokenization & Real-World AssetsHow Should You Structure RWA Tokenization in the UAE?
Start RWA tokenization with enforceable asset rights, issuer and platform roles, custody, transfers and regulatory classification—not the token standard.
Structuring & Market EntryShould You Use an ADGM SPV for a Crypto Project?
Use an ADGM SPV for a defined passive holding role—not as a substitute for operating permissions, token-offer analysis or group-level due diligence.
LicensingWhat Will Your VARA Licence Really Cost in Dubai?
A current, activity-based guide to VARA application and supervision fees, regulatory capital and the compliance costs a Dubai VASP should budget before filing.
Before you get in touch
A few useful answers.
Does Victoria advise on tokenization and real-world assets?
Yes. Her work includes fractional real-world assets, tokenized securities, funds and token launches. She helps connect the asset, legal entity, investor rights and proposed token before deciding what the structure needs.
Does Victoria work with clients outside the UAE?
Yes. Victoria is based in the UAE and works on cross-border matters. Her published work includes structures and market-entry questions involving the UAE, Singapore, the EU, Cayman Islands, BVI and Australia. The countries and local advice needed depend on your project.
What was Victoria's role at Illuvium?
Victoria was Chief Legal Officer at Illuvium. Her work included a VARA licence application across exchange, broker-dealer, custody and asset management activities, alongside legal structuring and banking for the DAO.
How can I speak with Victoria?
Use the contact form and mention that you would like to speak with Victoria. Describe what you are building, where it will operate and the decision or deadline you need help with.
Work with Victoria
What are you building?
Tell us about your project and the decision you need help with.