BITMAIN, crypto mining leading ASIC manufacturer enters MENA through a collaboration with Oman’s Blockchain Data center and technology park Exahertz and MoonWalk. This collaboration marks a significant leap forward as Exahertz takes on the role of hosting upwards of 10,000 state-of-the-art BITMAIN machines in the pioneering Exahertz Technology Park, nestled in Salalah, Oman. According to the press release, “This isn’t just any partnership, it’s BITMAIN‘s first-ever hosting venture in the Middle East and a groundbreaking initiative for hydro computers worldwide. The Exahertz Technology Park, standing tall as the Middle East’s largest private Blockchain Data center, underscores Exahertz’ unwavering commitment to innovation and progress.” Exahertz International, recently kicked off a pilot phase of Exahertz Technology Park in Salalah. In collaboration with their strategic partners Moonwalk Systems, they rigorously testing and optimizing the hydro systems to ensure peak perfor...

    In a news piece on Oman News agency, the Board of governors of the Central Bank of Oman, held their third meeting for 2023 where the followed up on developments as well as reviewed the international stance on cryptocurrencies as well as related studies conducted by the executive management team at the central bank on cryptocurrencies. This comes as Oman works on its virtual asset regulations, having   at the end of July 2023 announced a public consultation paper on virtual assets regulatory framework by the Oman Capital Market Auhtority. The Capital Market Authority, Sultanate of Oman (CMA), which regulates and develops Oman's financial markets for the capital market and insurance sectors, had earlier announced its plans to establish the new regulatory framework for Virtual Assets (VA) and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP). The proposed new regulatory framework is envisaged to cover activities such as crypto assets, tokens, crypto exchanges, and initial...

  As part of the strategy to build  crypto mining datacentres in Oman, the first phase of Asyad Group crypto mining center was launched in the Free zone in Salalah. Built and managed by Exahertz, a subsidiary of Afaq Advance Technologies firm, the first phase was inaguarated during a ceremony attended by top Omani governmental officials. The ceremony was held under the auspices of Eng. Said Hamoud Al Ma’awali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology. It was attended by HH Sayyid Marwan Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar. The ceremony included the inauguration of a pilot facility for the first phase of the project on the centre for data processing and hosting of cryptocurrency mining. During the event the second phase of the project was also launched. Al Ma’awali stated, “The inauguration of the first phase of the project reflects the ministry's keenness on promoting digital investment and localizing advanced technologies. He added that the com...

  In a recent press release, The Mining Future, a Bitcoin and crypto mining hosting services, has set up its headquarters in the UAE. The reason for this is the regulatory challenges being faced in China, USA, and EU as well as the rising costs. The company is also opening a datacentre in Kuwait. As per the release, The Mining Future has strategically established its headquarters in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to capitalize on the country’s ambitious vision to become a global leader in the crypto industry. The UAE’s commitment to fostering crypto-friendly regulations, inviting startups and miners within its jurisdiction, and making significant investments to secure its position as a hub for crypto companies have been instrumental in The Mining Future’s decision to choose the UAE as its base. “We believe that the UAE’s proactive approach to regulation and its commitment to supporting the growth of the crypto industry aligns perfectly with our vision for The Mining Future,” sa...

    Oman’s Green Data City, the first data center in Oman to obtain a crypto mining license will have full blockchain capacity in 2023. The datacenter which is nestled in Salalah region of Oman, harnesses its coastal location to utilize renewable energy sources. As per a report in Oxford Business group, the project is set to receive more than $3.2 billion as part of Vision 2040 and is expected to reach full blockchain capacity in 2023. The MTCIT announced in December 2022 that it secured OR150m ($390m) in investment from a consortium of local and foreign financiers to develop a large-scale data center at Green Data City. The investment is earmarked for the processing and hosting data; and the adoption of distributed ledger technologies, blockchain and financial technology. In an interview with Said Abdullah Al Mandhari ,CEO of Oman ICT Group, he noted that advanced technologies and blockchain, in particular, have enormous potential to enhance Oman’s long-term economic...

  UAE based Sabre56 a hosting provider and digital asset mining consultancy, has signed a hosting deal with U.S. based GEM Mining, an institutional-grade Bitcoin (BTC) mining company. As per the agreement, Sabre56 will initially host 4, 510 of GEM mining’s BTC miners in Sabre56’s new hosting facilities in Wyoming in USA. As per the announcement, half of the miners will come online in May, and the remaining miners in June. The deal follows Sabre56’s February announcement of its US$35 million funding agreements to build 150MW of Tier 0 data centers to support blockchain infrastructure. The Company is rapidly transitioning from consulting on mining projects to constructing and hosting its own facilities, and today’s news is the first among the waitlist of miners ready to take hosting services in the new and future facilities that are currently under construction. Phil Harvey, CEO of Sabre56, stated, “We are excited to welcome our new partner - GEM Mining. Our two companies a...

    Marathon Digital Holdings in a recent press release has confirmed that the company along with Abu Dhabi based Zero Two (Registered name FS Innovation), an emerging blockchain and digital assets infrastructure development company, will be launching the two digital asset mining sites with a combined capacity of 250 Megawatts in the sustainability hub of Abu Dhabi Masdar City and the port zone of Mina Zayed by the end of 2023. The joint entity registered in ADGM will work to accelerate the global digital economy while supporting the power grid of Abu Dhabi, JV) with the first large-scale immersion Bitcoin mining operations in the Middle East. To power the sites, Marathon and Zero Two intend to leverage excess energy in Abu Dhabi, increasing the base load and sustainability of the Abu Dhabi grid. Marathon and Zero Two will offset any non-sustainably produced electricity with clean energy certificates. As per previous articles the equity ownership in the ADGM Entity will...

  Zero Two, an ADQ sovereign wealth fund  entity, has launched its digital assets business in Abu Dhabi UAE to offer latest generation technologies. Zero Two will build and operate data center and offer digital asset management services as part of ADQ's digital asset strategy. The name "Zero Two" is derived from the significance of the numerals 0 and 2 in Web3 technology. Zero Two aims to become a trusted partner to companies seeking to capitalize on the broad innovative scope and transformative potential the technology offers. The company’s services range from developing power infrastructure to sourcing and testing latest generation technologies, to building and operating data centers, and providing digital assets management services. Zero Two was created to develop, operate and invest in best-in-class technologies accelerating and supporting the digital asset and Web3 ecosystem in the region, which comprises concepts such as decentralization and token-based economic...

  In a recent podcast called the Mining Pod, Fred Thiel CEO of Marathon Digital Holdings, a digital asset technology company that focuses on supporting and securing the Bitcoin ecosystem, discussed their launch in the UAE and their operating model which includes utilizing UAE’s fossil offsets and or nuclear energy. Market capitalization of Marathon Digital Holdings with a market capitalization of $1.19 billion is the world’s 4378 th most valuable company recently announced its foray into the UAE through a joint partnership with a subsidiary of sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi, called FS Innovation. The new entity in UAE will set up and operate two mining sites comprising 250 MW in Abu Dhabi, with FS Innovation controlling 80% of the project. As the majority shareholder, FS will appoint four directors to the board of the new entity, while Marathon will select one. As per the filing, the two sites are estimated to cost the two companies $406 million. Thiel discussed the ove...

In March 2022 Dubai announced the launch of the world’s first virtual asset regulatory authority. The authority would be set up to grant blockchain and crypto licenses in Dubai UAE. VARA then announced the first presence of a virtual asset regulatory authority in the metaverse with its headquarters in the Sandbox. Soon afterwards VARA hired the first CEO to head a virtual asset regulator, Mr Henson Orser. As per the recently published rulebooks the goal of VARA is to promote the Emirate and ultimately the UAE as a safe and progressive jurisdiction worthy of attracting meaningful Virtual Asset growth and innovation, in complement with all related UAE Government programs, and   position VARA and the UAE as globally trusted and respected in the realm of international law. Henson Orser in an interview with LaraontheBlock clarifies how the first global comprehensive rule book for VASPs and issuance of virtual assets issued by VARA in February 2023 is achieving its aim of becoming a ...

The Oman Capital Market Authority has announced that it will  establish the Virtual Assets Regulatory Framework to regulate and develop the market in the Sultanate of Oman. The Capital Market Authority (CMA), which regulates and develops the Sultanate's financial markets for the capital market and insurance sectors, is planning to establish the new proposed regulatory framework for Virtual Assets (VA) and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASP).  As per the press release, this move highlights the Sultanate’s growing recognition and the CMA's proactive approach to develop the digital assets and fintech industry in Oman. This important initiative in Oman was announced during a public stakeholders engagement session held at the CMA recently and being led by the CMA. By regulating and developing the virtual assets industry, the CMA aims to provide an alternative financing and investment platform for issuers and investors, while mitigating the risks associated with this asset class....

  In an SEC Filing dated January 27 th 2022, USA based Marathon digital Holdings, a digital asset mining entity, announced that it had entered into a shareholder’s agreement with FSI ( FS Innovation), the BTC mining subsidiary of UAE ADQ a sovereign fund,    to form an Abu Dhabi, ( ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Markets) based company. As per the filing, the joint UAE ADGM based company will establish and operate one or more mining facilities for digital assets. The business entity will be in the field of digital asset/crypto mining. The initial phase will consist of two digital asset mining sites comprising 250 MW (megawatts) in Abu Dhabi UAE. Marathon Holdings will own 20% of the joint company in UAE only. The cost of the project will be $406 million. This new comes after UAE based Phoenix Technology which embarked on establishing a $2 billion crypto-mining farm in the UAE,   announced in November 2022, that the biggest crypto mining project in the region will...

  Oman Ministry of Transport, Communications, and IT in partnership with Green Data City (GDC) the next generation data blockchain ecosystem, have launched the first licensed sustainable crypto mining datacenter in Oman, and the GCC.   The delegation witnessed the first Bitcoin officially mined in Oman using immersive cooling technology which will reduce electricity consumption. The crypto mining datacenter is based in Mirbat   Salalah Oman because of its cooler climate. Under this license, industrial mining companies can now register directly with GDC Mining and operate within the development. H.E. Said bin Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, inaugurated the Sultanate of Oman’s first crypto mining data center, set up by Green Data City. Al Maawali was joined by Dr. Ali bin Amer al Shidhani, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology for Communication and Information Technolo...

    As Phoenix Technology announced its entrance into a strategic exclusive regional partnership with Blockchain crypto mining product entity, they also noted that Phoenix Technology which embarked on establishing a $2 billion crypto-mining farm in the UAE, the biggest crypto mining project in the region will be completed in the next six months, or Q2 of 2023.   The press release notes, “The project will be finalized within six months, giving the region a taste of technological advancement and development.” In February 2022 Phoenix had announced it was part of the group of entities developing the UAE crypto mining farm and had also stated in a interview with Irena Heaver that the project would be finalized in the next six months. Almost a year later, and their latest press release states the UAE crypto mining farm will be launched in the next six months.  The partnership with MicroBT, a technology company based on blockchain, will allow Phoenix Technology to s...

  Amidst what some might consider as bearish markets especially for the crypto mining industry given high energy prices and decreased value in crypto markets, UAE’s crypto mining hardware retailer, Phoenix Technology is investing $300 million in crypto mining sites across the globe. As per recent news, Phoenix Technology is developing a large scale site in the United States which will be launched in Q2 of 2023. The site will utilize the latest mining technologies including immersive cooling. Carl Agren, CEO of Phoenix Technology, stated, “Phoenix Technology is aiming to switch from a regional player in the mining space to a global one. In other words, developing, maintaining, and operating sites all around the world. We have been currently focusing on the North American markets, mainly the US and Canada. However, we are planning on setting foot in other regions to try to identify opportunities in untapped mining areas. We are devoting $300 million to be invested in different si...

  Crypto mining is an integral part of the development of crypto economies. As the MENA region opens up its economy to digitization and crypto-related activities and as the world is challenged by an ongoing energy crisis, MENA is probing to become an attractive destination for crypto mining. While the biggest crypto mining markets are currently in the USA, China, Kazakhstan and Canada, the energy crisis and the crypto bear market could help the GCC become a leading crypto mining hub. Mohamed El Masri, founder and CEO of Permianchain, which operates Bitcoin mining data centers in Canada using wasted energy, states, “The adoption and implementation of blockchain data center infrastructure can support the digital stability and financial security of the GCC region. Hypothetically, the GCC has the opportunity to attract close to $1.0 trillion in economic growth by laying the groundwork for powering the digital economy.” El Masri confirms the main challenge is calling out the financial r...

  UAE Alawad Fund announced the launch of their 300 million USD Blockchain crypto investment fund which consists of two main sub funds. The first Fund is focused on cryptocurrency mining while the second is on crypto and Blockchain. The chairman of the fund is His Excellency Sheikh Alawad. As per the website the fund has gained regulatory approval out of DAFZA (Dubai Airport Free Zone). The CEO of the Fund is Jojo Jiang. The fund is said to invest in virtual assets, blockchain startups, crypto exchanges, with a focus on Bitcoin mining. The Cryptocurrency Mining Sub-fund focuses on cryptocurrency miner supply chain finance and cryptocurrency mining farm constructions. As per an article on Bitcoinist , " The first Fund is a total of 300 million USD." The second sub fund is the investment fund, which will invest in project with sufficient industry experience. The main investment areas are Web 3.0, Metaverse, GameFi & DAO. 10 percent of fund will be allocated to the abo...