At one point in all of our lives, we have either deleted important messages we received by accident, or lost all our whatsapp conversations, and maybe even wished we knew how to find an important message on discord, telegram, or even a Web3 communication app we were using.   Well this has now been resolved with the advent of a Web3 blockchain enabled, ‘Eternal Message’ Today more than 3 billion people worldwide are using messaging apps, sending an average of 145 billion messages every day. While the majority of these messages are insignificant, some are very important to those sending and receiving them. While Web3 messaging apps have come to resolve the issues of security and privacy, as well as offer fully encrypted and stored messages on the blockchain, yet none of them has thought about eternally capturing those we deem important so we can retrieve them easily later on. In an interview with LaraontheBlock Mohamed Abdou Founder and CEO of Egyptian headquartered and ...

  KSA’s Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Developer will drop a limited number of utility NFTs ( Non   fungible tokens) for its Oman AIDA project. The comments were made in an interview with AGBI media. The $1.6 billion project AIDA, is the largest premium, mixed-use urban developments in Oman. It is a partnership between Dar Al Arkan and the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) to drive the development of the Gulf state’s property market and support the growth of Oman’s real estate sector as part of Oman Vision 2040. Ziad El Chaar, vice chairman of Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development, said in the interview , “We are dropping 500 NFTs in the middle of October, which are utility tokens for our project AIDA in Oman.   If you are a holder of that NFT, you have a priority in booking in any launch of the project. This has a lot of value. He added that those who booked in Dar Al Arkan Pagani project in December made 25 percent profit as prices went up. The NFT will a...

  Kevin O’ Leary, nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful",  a Canadian businessman, entrepreneur, and television personality and an advocate of cryptocurrency stated that he recently became a UAE citizen because he wants to work freely in a region that has attracted investment by some of crypto’s heaviest hitters, including FTX, Binance and Crypto.com This came as he announced at Converge22 Blockchain and cryptocurrency conference that he was launching a Web3.0 investment fund called Cipher with the lead investor coming from the UAE. As he noted on stage, “We’ve got to get away from this speculative price of an asset here. We’ve got to find reasons that this technology gets embedded into the economy.” He went on to say, “I recently became a citizen of the United Arab Emirates to work freely in a region that has attracted investment by some of crypto’s heaviest hitters, including exchanges FTX, Binance and Crypto.com. The new all-Web3 fund’s lead investor comes from the United Ara...

  UAE virtual asset regulator in Abu Dhabi,   FSRA (Financial Services Regulatory Authority) of ADGM ( Abu Dhabi Global Market) has enhanced its capital markets framework, allowing for the trading of NFTs   (Non Fungible tokens) on virtual asset regulated platforms, This means that MTFs/Custodians (Multilateral trading Facilities) operating within ADGM are now able to seek approval from the FSRA to engage in Non-Fungible Token (NFT) activities. As per the news, these are considered significant enhancements to its capital markets framework, across spot commodities, securities, derivatives, benchmarks, environmental instruments and virtual assets that will further improve on its innovative and progressive regime and leadership in financial markets. Alongside its innovative approach to virtual assets, the ADGM has now implemented its regulatory framework for spot commodity and environmental instrument activities, making it the first international financial centre in...

  Abu Dhabi’s ADQ and Further Ventures, an investment firm back by ADQ have launched a $200 million fund focused on Fintech, digital assets and supplychain. As per the news, entrepreneurs and experienced executives who choose to launch their next venture with Further will have access to product and engineering resources for concept development; seed capital required to take the business to Series A; and reserved capital for following on through multiple rounds of funding beyond capital investment. Further ventures also has a dedicated team that provides legal and regulatory support, talent sourcing and recruitment, operations, and business development expertise with access to some of the largest organizations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as well as venture builders globally, as part of Further’s extensive network. Further is focused on building, digital asset payments products, blockchain asset custody, security solutions, marketplaces, wallets and other ...

  UAE Central Bank officials have called for a comprehensive regulatory framework for central digital currencies that would facilitate, accelerate and reduce the cost of cross border monetary operations. The call came during UAE's Central Bank participation at the fifth International Financial Architecture (IFA) Working Group meeting within the G20 Finance Track for 2022, which was held in a hybrid format on 22nd and 23rd September 2022. Thiscomes after The Innovation Hub of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, BIS (Bank of International Settlements) and the Central Bank of the UAE announced on twitter the completion of the first CBDC pilot involving real value transactions and four jurisdictions, using mBridge, custom developed DLT platform. As per the tweet, 20 banks participated in the final CBDC pilot, with over 160 transfers and FX exchanges carried out, totaling $171 million HK dollars ( $22 million)  in transfers and FX exchanges and $91 HK million in issuances equiva...

  Ahmed al Marjeby and Mahmood al Lawati have developed a blockchain enabled digital identity platform out of Oman. Nashid, the blockchain enabled digital identity platform is aimed to mitigate the risks of identity fraud. Nashid has  also secured a pre-seed investment as part of the Techween program from Oman Technology Fund As per the news, Oman based Nashid will allow users to access services digitally without visiting any service provider ever again. In 2020 alone, identity theft and fraud cost over $700 billion in losses worldwide The platform will allow the creation of a secure digital version of one’s identity and their attributes. The need for in-person verifications will cease, usernames and passwords will disappear, and a frictionless, online-only user journey will take place. Nashid is powered by the Blockchain to maintain the truth of all digital interactions with high levels of online security and credibility. It also is fueled by encryption models of hash...

  Moroccan Arab singer, dubbed “Al Mualem”, meaning the teacher, Saad LAMajarred and Arab Super star Ragheb Alama will be holding the first ever Arab joint music concert in the metaverse. The two well renowned Arabic singers announced that they would be holding their upcoming concert in the metaverse in collaboration with famous Arab composer Michel Fadel. The concert will be held on the 20 th of October 2022, organized by Metaboundless. Metaboundless is a Web3.0 platform that connects creators and creator IP with fans to produce and scale creator content. MetaBoundless in partnership with Karma Return Opportunities, a regulated Web3.0 asset manager run helps creators generate attractive returns while preserving capital. Tickets will be sold in the form of NFTs (Non Fungible tokens). A tutorial on how to purchase the tickets is present on the Metaboundless website . Blockchain platform AlGorand is the exclusive blockchain partner for the event along with famous Arab Cartoo...

  Bahrain EazyPay, a payments solution provider,  has partnered with Binance's Binance Pay to launch a regulated and approved crypto payments service offering in the Kingdom. Nayef Tawfiq Al Alawi, Founder, MD & CEO of Eazy in Bahrain stated on LinkedIn ,   “Now you can pay in stores with any preferred Cryptocurrency using Binance App.   A special thanks goes to Central Bank of Bahrain, Binance and Eazy Financial Services B.S.C (Closed) teams."  ‎ ‏ Eazy Financial Services “EazyPay”, a  Bahraini financial institute specialized in Point-of-Sale (POS) & Online Payment Gateway Acquiring services licensed & regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain, has partnered with Binance, to offer crypto   payments using “Binance Pay” over “EazyPay”   across 5000+ Point-of- Sale (POS) Terminals & Online Payment gateways in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Merchants such as ‎ ‏ Lulu Hypermarket, Sharaf DG and Al Zain Jewellery as well as local favori...

  eToro,   social investment networks   has received an In-Principle Approval to operate as a securities, derivatives and crypto broker in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), approval will enable eToro to establish a base from which to offer its services to customers across the region.   eToro allows users to view other investors’ portfolios and statistics, and interact with them to exchange ideas, discuss strategies, and benefit from shared knowledge. Users can hold traditional assets such as equities, currencies, ETFs, or commodities, alongside newer assets like cryptoassets. eToro also offers its users a choice of how to invest, as users can trade directly themselves, invest in a portfolio, or replicate the investment strategy of other investors on eToro’s platform at no extra cost, with a single click. Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief of Markets at ADGM, said, “We ar...

  Binance, crypto exchange has received its Minimal Viable Product (MVP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA). Local bank clients approved by VARA will be able to utilize the Binance platform. Users will benefit from higher consumer protection levels because Binance is now a fully regulated platform in Dubai. Binance is now able to open a client money account with a UAE local bank and provide services to qualified customers. Services include, virtual asset exchange services, conversion between virtual assets and fiat currencies, transfer of virtual assets, custody and management of virtual assets, virtual token offering and trading services and virtual assets payments and remittance services His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Chairman of VARA said, “We are pleased to have Binance licensed to operate within the VARA MVP Programme. The VARA regime aims to strike an effective balance between value creation and risk mitigation, enabling open market innova...

  Nasdaq has launched its Digital Assets business unit that as they note will power the digital asset ecosystem. Nasdaq aims to provide trusted and institutional-grade solutions, focused on enhanced custody, liquidity and integrity.   Adena Friedman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nasdaq stated, “Nasdaq Digital Assets builds upon the successful solutions we have introduced in recent years to serve the digital assets ecosystem, including marketplace technology for digital asset exchanges, crypto-native anti-financial crime offerings, and crypto-related index solutions for tradable products. The technology that underpins the digital asset ecosystem has the potential to transform markets over the long-term. To deliver on that opportunity, our focus will be to provide institutional-grade solutions that bring greater liquidity, integrity, and transparency to support the evolution.”   Nasdaq Digital Assets will initially develop an advanced custody solution that...

  Saudi Arabian Taajeer Group, the exclusive agent for MG cars in the Kingdom has utilized the Blockchain enabled Contour platform in its importing of cars from China. HSBC, Chinese SAIC Motor, and KSA Taajeer group executed a successful blockchain enabled trade finance transaction on the Contour platform. As per the news this is a regional first for the automotive sector and a first in KSA. Contour is a digital trade finance network that is building a global standard for trade by bringing together the world's banks, corporates and ecosystem partners, onto a common, digital, and trusted network. The Contour platform enabled end-to-end digitisation of the credit documentation required for Taajeer to import a shipment of cars from SAIC in a process that is up to 10 times faster than using physical documents.   Chaker Zeraiki, Head of Global Trade & Receivables Finance for HSBC UAE, said: “Our digitising at scale means making customers’ lives easier and, with Contour ...

  KSA Bold Group, a creative advertising agency, has partnered with King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives ( Darah) to bring Saudi National day to the Decentraland metaverse. For Saudi Arabia’s 92 nd Saudi National Day Celebration, participants will experience Saudi Culture in a new digital realm, the metaverse. The virtual Saudi National Day celebration will begin on the 22nd of September until the 24th of September 2022. For this pioneering initiative, The Bold Group collaborated with King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) to make the user experience come to life. This strategic partnership will enable an authentic immersive experience as both Darah strive to make Saudi Arabia's history and culture accessible to the world, and to educate future generations on the full breadth of the Kingdom's great heritage.   Abeer Alessa, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Bold Group said, "We are activating the metaverse in an impact...

  UAE University of Sharjah has launched a research project aimed to develop a blockchain metaverse system to preserve the UAE culture and heritage. Working with BSV Blockchain Association, the University of Sharjah plans to retain ownership of UAE culture in the form of digital assets, and then develop an NFT and physical marketplace where users can exchange physical originals as well as NFTs all in a metaverse environment. Prof. Maamar Bettayeb, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies at The University of Sharjah noted that this was a very pragmatic use case utilizing technologies such as Blockchain, metaverse and NFTs. He states, “The University is serving the community and UAE’s national economy by implementing the vision of the Emirate of Sharjah as well as the UAE in documenting and preserving our history and heritage in both tangible and intangible formats.”   Mr. Jimmy Nguyen, Bitcoin Association for BSV Founding President, added "We are very excited and ...

  Animoca’s brand, the Sandbox announced during the 62 edition of the True Global Ventures Conference that it will be bringing its metaverse strategy to Dubai, with the ‘Dubaiverse’. It will work with local partners including Khaleej Times media outlet.  Animoca Brand’s Dubai-themed metaverse will follow the blueprint of its subsidiary Sandbox’s Hong Kong “Mega City,’ a gaming metaverse and virtual cultural hub based on the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong. As per the news on  Forkast , the    Dubaiverse will be built through local partnerships, In doing so, the Hong Kong-based blockchain game specialist will partner with firms in the film, music, entertainment, acting, finance, real estate, and gaming industries. Sebastien Borget, cofounder and chief operating officer (COO) of Sandbox Paris, added, “Other planned location-based metaverses are in the works for Singapore, Korea, and Turkey.” Dubai’s virtual asset regulator was the first regulator in the world to ...

  Two professors at Qatar university came together to build a blockchain network from scratch that would not only be utilized as a ledger but also as a super computer. They named it Maxya given that its consensus mechanism creates added value by solving optimization problems for business. Lebanese-Canadian national Mazen El Masri, Co-Founder and CEO and  Syrian-French national Karim Yafi, CO-Founder and CTO, of Genesis Technologies, the tech company which developed Maxya, both Associate Professors at Qatar University started their project three years ago with a $2.6 million fund for an applied research program from Qatar National Research Fund, today they have launched MaxYa test net and are testing it with Qatar’s local sectors. The duo developed their consensus mechanism which they called “Proof of Useful Work”.   The Proof-of-Useful-Work (PoUW)” is an alternative mechanism for transaction validation that repurposes the squandered computing resources to beneficial ...

   Lawrence H. Summers, the renowned American economist who served as the 71st United States Secretary of Treasury from 1999-2001 under Bill Clinton, as well as the Director of the National Economic Council from 2009 to 2010 under Barack Obama, will be offering his insights into the global economy and financial markets as well as his views on crypto and Blockchain during the 13th edition of AIM Summit being held on the 21st and 22nd of November 2022 in Dubai UAE.   AIM Summit is the region's leading forum for providing insights on investment developments and global market conditions. This year, special emphasis is placed on the current global economy, inflation, stagflation and recession. Summers will provide his views on why the U.S. will likely be headed into a recession within the next two years. Summers will discuss how globalization, trade, and technology will play a pivotal role in the future of the global economy. In 2021, Summers repeatedly called out the...

  UAE based MetaEssence launches the world’s first specialized G2B2C (Government to Business to Consumer) utility-based Web3.0 and Metaverse solutions provider.    MetaEssence focuses on Web3.0 & Metaverse enablement through three main business domains: digital health, digital economy, and sustainability. Introducing innovative solutions to accelerate the government agencies and organizations’ digital transformation, and contributing to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to cement the UAE's position as a global capital for the digital economy.   Fatma ElSafty, Founder and CEO of MetaEssence, states,” Our vision is to enable simplified, secure, and reliable access to a wide range of Web3.0 & Metaverse solutions where our customers find synergies between their services and securely execute transactions with a business value add. A t MetaEssence We emphasize our pr...

  The central bank of Egypt has once again reiterated its warning against dealing in any types of cryptocurrencies, saying that crypto is risky, highly volatile, and is used in financial crimes and e-piracy. In the Egypt independent article , the Central Bank of Egypt will fine anyone who violates the Law No 194 of 2020 which prohibits issuing, trading, promoting cryptocurrencies, operating crypto exchanges or any other related activities. The Central Bank will fine violators up to $516,000 ( 10 million LE) or face imprisonment. The CBE statement reads, “Whoever violates this shall be imprisoned, and fined no less than one million pounds and no more than LE10 million ($516,340), or one of these two penalties.” The Egyptian central bank issued a similar warning about cryptocurrencies in January 2018, specifically naming Bitcoin. At that time the Central Bank had noted, “Cryptocurrencies are not backed by any tangible assets and are not supervised by any regulators worldwide, a...

    Headquartered in Egypt with a presence in the UAE, Pravica, the everyone-to-everyone communication platform, offering a native Web 3.0 Blockchain-enabled unified, secure and privacy-compliant messaging platform, has launched the first DcFi (Decentralized Communications and Finance) platform under the name Pravica Club.   The platform is an extension of what Pravica has already been working on for the past three years. Pravica applications, built on Stacks Blockchain and secured by Bitcoin, has developed and launched a completely decentralized Web 3.0 communications platform that can be utilized by both enterprise and individuals securely and easily. Pravica is one of the very few in this sector that offers live products, the Pravica Messenger for mobile devices and now Pravica club.   Mohamed Abdou, Founder and CEO of Pravica explains, “Today there is a high demand for decentralized secure and private communications applications. Projects of this kind h...

  OpenNode, a "Bitcoin-as-a-payment-network" infrastructure company, has started testing a Bitcoin payment processing and payout solution in Bahrain, with the Central Bank of Bahrain’s regulatory Sandbox. OpenNode intends to provide the infrastructure to help the country grow its economy and will showcase why Bitcoin is synonymous with better business. Bahrain was one of the first to grant a crypto exchange license to RAIN crypto exchange and since then has accepted in Binance and others. The CBB authorized OpenNode to participate in the new Regulatory Sandbox Framework that allows FinTech firms to test their ideas and solutions in the Kingdom. OpenNode intends to bring payment innovation to Bahrain in using Bitcoin.   Afnan Rahman, CEO and Co-Founder at OpenNode, stated"This is a watershed moment for the people of Bahrain, the Middle East and the Bitcoin economy as a whole. OpenNode's leading Bitcoin infrastructure solution continues to pave the way for ...