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UAE based Standard Chartered bank to offer digital asset custody through DIFC

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  Subject to regulatory approval, UAE based Standard Chartered has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to collaborate on digital assets, including digital asset custody through its Zodia Custody entity. Standard Chartered plans to launch digital asset custody services, starting in DIFC and to cater to institutional clients worldwide. Standard Chartered is an early mover in developing services to provide custody of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies. Drawing on its international expertise in traditional custody, its new services will be powered by its subsidiary Zodia Custody, which has best-in-class operational and technical capabilities suited to needs of institutional clients. The MOU was signed during the latest   Dubai FinTech Summit by Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, and Bill Winters, Group Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered. Winters said, “We see digital assets as an important part of the future of f

Abu Dhabi Masdar City and Mina Zayed Port locations for 250 Megawatt Bitcoin mining facility

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    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 be 80% f

Crypto exchange MaskEX to set up headquarters in UAE after receiving initial approval from UAE regulator

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  Crypto exchange, MaskEX has unilaterally announced receiving an initial approval from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA) to begin making preparations for its launch in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It also will be opening its headquarters in Dubai and hiring.  As per the announcement, the approval represents a major milestone for MaskEX, which has been working tirelessly to expand its presence in the Middle East and bring the benefits of virtual assets to a wider audience. MaskEX will begin finalizing its entity incorporation, engage banking services, hire more staff in Dubai for its soon-to-be-opened headquarters office, and take the necessary steps to become the first regulated exchange in the UAE. The services and activities MaskEX has applied for include exchange, lending and borrowing, broker-dealer, and virtual asset management and investment services, with the aim of obtaining VARA’s highly acclaimed FMP license. This license will enable MaskEX to operat

UAE EnjinStarter first Web3 Launchpad globally to be initially licensed by regulator

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    UAE based EnjinStarter MENA, a web3 Launchpad and incubator,   has become the first launchpad globally to receive initial approval by Dubai’s virtual asset regulatory authority. According to the unilateral announcement, EnjinStarter will continue to undertake the in-depth process of applying for a licence, in accordance with VARA requirements. With the Middle East and North Africa considered to be a booming Web3 market, Enjinstarter is seeking a foothold in the region as it aims to be the premier Launchpad and incubator for Web3 metaverse, gaming, and entertainment experiences. Enjinstarter has ambitious plans to be the go-to provider for Web3 adoption in the region, including the addition of more portfolio projects focusing on impact and sustainability initiatives that complement the UAE’s commitment to climate action. “This is an important step for Enjinstarter. Getting initial approval and continuing with our license application makes clear our commitment to achieving

Digital asset exchange Fasset receives initial approval for full market license from Dubai’s VARA

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  Unilaterally, Fasset, a digital asset exchange platform with a vision to offer affordable and frictionless gateway for people in emerging markets to own and grow their wealth in digital assets has announced  that it has been granted an Initial Approval for a Full Market Product (FMP) license by the Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in UAE. As per the announcement , “Though the initial approval does not yet allow any virtual asset activity in or from Dubai, this initial stage indicates progress in obtaining full permission to operate in Dubai. This crucial step forward allows Fasset to lead the digital assets market, as one of the first exchanges to provide regulatory protection to consumers in Dubai, as the MENA region has been identified as the world’s fastest growing cryptocurrency market.” Raafi Hossain, CEO and Co-Founder of Fasset stated, “This is an incredibly exciting time to be leading the way in democratizing access to digital assets. As the world turns

Morocco makes Global top 10 countries list with craze for Meme coins

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  The Arab country of Morocco has made it to the top 10 global list of countries who have a craze for Meme coins according to CoinGecko recent report . For those who haven’t heard of Meme coins they are a crypto genre that has a huge online community which supports the crypto currencies growth. They are sometimes identified with animated character or animal meme images. During the recent cryptocurrency boom, top currencies to gain meme coin status included Dogecoin and Shiba Inu. According to CoinGeck, the meme coin craze in 2023 has been led by the United States (US), India and the United Kingdom (UK), where more than half of the meme coin fans this year are based. Meme coins are also popular in Southeast Asia’s Philippines and Malaysia, Nigeria and Morocco on the African continent, Oceania’s Australia and New Zealand, and Canada. The top 10 countries leading the meme coin craze in 2023 make up 82.9% or the majority of interest in the speculative assets. The US is unsurprisi

Crypto Oasis launches the Green Block initiative in commitment to Cop28 in UAE

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  Crypto Oasis launched its crypto Oasis report for Q2 of 2023 announcing the Green Block initiative as part of its commitment to the UAE’s Environmentally Sustainable goals. This comes as the UAE hosts the COP28 in December 2023. Crypto Oasis, a blockchain ecosystem fostering innovation in the UAE, has witnessed a significant growth in the blockchain crypto ecosystem in the UAE. In its second edition of the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem report for Q2 2023, it noted that there were now over 1,800 organizations in the blockchain and crypto industry within the country with over 8,650 employees working in crypto blockchain, metaverse, and Web3 ecosystem. The numbers are up from the ones shared in Crypto Oasis’s annual report of 2022 published in October. At that time there were 1,400 blockchain and crypto entities in the country employing 7000 people. This shows that 400 new entities registered their companies in the UAE over the past 8 months employing an extra 1,650 people in the sect

CoinBase, Circle, and Bittrex leaving USA and heading to the MENA region

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    The exodus of Crypto and Blockchain startups from the United States seems to be intensifying and it looks like the MENA region, and UAE are the new preferred destinations for CoinBase, Circle and Bittrex.  Tim Draper, Founder of DFJ VC tweeted recently that Silicon Valley startups are relocating to Middle East, Asia, and Europe. He states, “CoinBase and Gemini are moving out of the US for regulatory reasons. Dubai, London and Singapore are eating into New York's blockchain leadership. This exodus is not good for US jobs, economy, and homelessness.” Additionally, in the last 24 hours CoinBase announced that its CEO and Co-Founder Brian Armstrong is currently in the UAE for a series of engagements with policymakers, regulators, partners, Web3 and crypto founders as well as clients. Armstrong is delivering a keynote address at the inaugural Dubai Fintech Summit, under the patronage of His Royal Highness, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Rule

UAE Based Blockchain entity Web3Wed carries out first wedding on the Blockchain

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  UAE Based Web3Wed has carried out the first wedding on the Polygon Blockchain with NFT rings that incorporate Bitcoin. According to the press release, Web3Wed allows couples to formalize their relationships using smart contracts on the blockchain which is then updated in case of divorce. The Blockchain marriage is not considered legal obligation though. The first blockchain wedding marked the official launch of the Web3Wed.io platform. "The world is changing so fast, but marriages are still the same as centuries ago," said Yury Reut, the founder, and CEO of Web3Wed.io. "Why can't we connect people using blockchain? Co-living defeated the old matrimony system; it is a fact." Couples choose NFT wedding rings that symbolize their participation in the marriage. Additionally, the service can add Bitcoin to the NFT wedding ring, making it an asset for the couple that would be returned in the case of divorce to the wallet of the ring owner. "We're ex

Crypto Exchange RAIN Bahrain traded $484 million worth of crypto with Ethereum and XRP leading over Bitcoin

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Crypto Broker Exchange RAIN Bahrain has traded $484 million worth of crypto since its inception in 2019 with Ethereum the most traded crypto asset followed by XRP.  RAIN has noted that it has a  customer base of 75,000 from Bahraini residents signed up on the platform.  According to the RAIN LinkedIn post “We’re thrilled to share some exciting news about our impact on the Kingdom’s crypto market! Since launching Rain in 2019, we’ve been able to offer our customers a reliable and secure platform for trading crypto assets. We’re grateful for Bahrain’s strong support for innovation and entrepreneurship, which has contributed to our success. Thank you to the people of Bahrain and Team Bahrain for your unwavering support!”  As per their statistics 41% of active crypto traders in Bahrain chose RAIN, while 5% of crypto trades in Bahrain are carried out on RAIN.  In addition the biggest traded cryptocurrencies on RAIN Bahrain are Ethereum, Bitcoin, XRP, Litecoin and tether. Statistically Ethe

Blockchain crypto veteren James Bernard appointed as Chief Commercial Officer at UAE's RAK Digital Assets Oasis

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    UAE’s latest digital asset and Web3 free zone in Ras Al Khaimah, RAK DAO, has appointed James Bernard at its Chief Commercial Officer. Bernard has been working in the digital asset blockchain sector since 2015. In the UAE he worked within Dubai’s DMCC and later on as an advisor to several Web3 blockchain entities within the UAE. James will be responsible for all commercial activities, the implementation of business strategies and the development of partnerships, supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, and businesses across new and emerging tech sectors, digital assets, and web3, metaverse, AI, NFT, DApp, AI, blockchain, tokenization as well as many others.   He was a founding member in 2015 of the Global Blockchain Council in Dubai, and leading DMCC’s Crypto strategy, developing early proof of concepts for various Web 3.0-powered ventures including Diamond Track and Trace, and property leasing applications, while also launching crypto asset licenses and making significant contr

NFTs gaining traction in Middle East with Chalhoub Group, MasterCard, and Healthvarsity

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  UAE based Chalhoub Group’s SOL3MATES future sneakers NFTs pre sale will be launched today on  May 4 th while MasterCard has   launched its Music Pass NFT Web3 training program for emerging musical artists and Music fans in the MENA region and Healthvarsity  has  launched the biggest GCC online learning platform for health professionals, using AI and NFT certificates built on blockchain technology. Rijal Hikmatullah Co -Founder of SOL3MATES part of Chalhoub Group announced on LinkediN, “In just 3 days, SOL3MATES by Chalhoub Group is releasing a one-of-a-kind NFT that will be a game changer for the Industry. The NFTs are not just a digital asset, but an access pass to enter the SOL3MATES ecosystem that empowers sneaker designers, a community-centric platform and exclusive perks. Yes... we are releasing a physical sneaker with perks.” The perks include access to SOL3MATES sneakers, free shipping, lifetime discounts, etc, in addition to partner perks which allow access to token gate

MENA open banking platform Tarabut gateway raises $32 million to expand in KSA

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  MENA based Tarabut open banking platform, which recently signed its first partnership with a crypto brokerage exchange RAIN in Bahrain, has raised $32 million in its series A, led by Pinnacle Capital. The funds will be used to bolster Tarabut’s footprint in Saudi Arabia. Pinnacle Capital is a leading alternative investment firm that focuses on KSA investments to provide unique alternative investment opportunities. Pinnacle Capital partners have extensive transactional experience in the venture capital industry with a proven track record, including leading the first Saudi unicorn tech startup, Jahez, to a public listing. The raise also saw participation from Aljazira Capital, Visa, Tiger Global, and other leading existing investors. Abdulla Almoayed, Founder and CEO of Tarabut Gateway, stated, “Open banking is reshaping the financial landscape in KSA and the wider Middle East, and we, at Tarabut Gateway, are proud to be at the forefront of this innovation. This fundraise reflects

UAE Helion Ventures is going to Lebanon with Beirut Digital District

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  UAE Helion Ventures investment, is heading to Beirut Lebanon for a round table meeting on May 11th at Beirut Digital District. Helion launched its operations in Dubai’s DIFC in September 2022 focusing on four major sectors, banking 3.0, healthcare, tokenization of real world assets, green technology, gaming, and fintech in projects across the GCC and African region. The founders, Oliver von Wolff and Bojan al Pinto Brkic, have long-term experience in venture capital and regulated products. Oliver von Wolff, Founder and CEO, at launch stated, “Our products and services perfectly complement the ecosystem for Dubai start-ups, we are a classic equity provider and venture builder with focus on institutional investors”, to which Bojan added “we intend to capitalize on our experience, bringing the investment management know-how to new industries, such are blockchain and fintech, and even gaming and crypto.” It is not surprising to see Helion Ventures off to Beirut, given that they are o

Blockchain Integration Cloud platform launched in MENA region

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    Blockchain compatible EVM ( Ethereum Virtual Machine) platform built on NEAR protocol, Aurora Labs, with offices in Business Bay in Duba, has launched its Aurora Cloud in the MENA region. The platform is designed to integrate blockchain technology to their business without friction or the need for expert teams, significant resources, or large investments in time. With Aurora Cloud, businesses can connect their existing products to their own blockchain, allowing for a seamless end user experience that still looks familiar to what their customers use every day. The platform enables businesses to choose to operate on their own private blockchain, known as an Aurora Silo, implementing KYC/KYB access restrictions and dictating which apps and tokens are available to trade and use, allowing for a bespoke and tailored experience. The ability to control whether they or their customers are responsible for gas fees is another game-changing feature that provides total commercial flexibil

UAE based WadzPay chosen as finalist at Currency Research Awards for its Blockchain enabled Saudi Hajj Payment solution

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  UAE based WadzPay Blockchain enabled Hajj Pilgrim Digital payments solution has been chosen as a finalist at Currency Research’s second annual Advancement in Digital Currency Awards, being presented at the Digital Currency Conference in Mexico City, on May 18th, 2023. WadzPay’s solution was chosen under the category for Best Innovation in Digital Currency. WadzPay is competing against top international blockchain fintech providers such as Stellar. According to Parv Aggarwal , Vice President for CBDCs and Partnerships, “We are super excited to represent WadzPay and our novel cross border Hajj Pilgrimage token.” Currency Research awards are presented to digital currency initiatives that advance the platform as a payment instrument. Currency Research chooses entities who are working on all types of digital currencies at all stages of developments. The award categories include “Outstanding Advancement in Digital Currency” whose category finalist for this year include, Crunchfish,

Poloniex crypto exchange pays $7.5 million settlement to OFAC for dealing with customers in Syria, Sudan, Iran, Crimea

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  US based Poloniex, LLC, a Delaware company with its principal place of business in Boston, Massachusetts which previously operated an online trading and settlement platform previously doing business as Poloniex Inc. (hereinafter collectively “Poloniex”) has agreed to remit $7,591,630 to settle its potential civil liability for 65,942 apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs with countries such as Syria, Sudan, Iran, and Crimea with U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC.)   As noted by OFAC, between January 2014 and November 2019, the Poloniex trading platform allowed customers apparently located in sanctioned jurisdictions to engage in online digital asset-related transactions consisting of trades, deposits, and withdrawals—with a combined value of $15,335,349, despite having reason to know their location based on both Know Your Customer information and internet protocol address data. As per the OFAC statement, the settlement amount r

UAE Climate COP28 Edition to include Digital art and Blockchain

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  The Climate COP28 UAE Edition will have the first DigitalArt4Climate & Blockchain4Climate edition. The roadmap for the edition will be discussed on May 2 nd 2023 side event which aims to shed light on the game changing potentials of digital innovation especially blockchain as an enabler of societal action for climate empowerment and local SDGs implementation. The virtual side event will focus on edutainment and youth in an effort to help the UN Climate Conference COP28 in Dubai UAE in December 2023.   The side event is being organized by IAAI GloCha. The IAAI association is a UNFCCC accredited non-profit organization based in Austria that promotes sustainable development and climate action through the use of innovative technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). IAAI is a member of the Global Challenges Action Empowerment Consortium (GloCha), which is a network of organizations working together to tackle the world's most

UAE virtual asset regulator takes further action against OPNX tokenized exchange

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  The Dubai Virtual asset regulatory authority, has issued a formal letter of reprimand to OPNX the tokenized exchange for bankrupt crypto entities,  and its founders for carrying out virtual asset Exchange Services on an unregulated basis in Dubai; and for marketing, promoting and/or advertising OPNX services and its native token [FLEX] without the necessary permits from VARA. Dubai virtual asset regulator in February 2023 became aware that OPNX exchange was soliciting, and collecting personal data from the public to participate in its new (to be launched) exchange. Through social media platforms, OPNX had been engaged in marketing the exchange without establishing warranted restrictions for residents of Dubai/UAE. The announcement on VARA goes on to note, “Then on April 4 th   OPNX launched the exchange on opnx.com, providing VA Exchange services – a regulated activity under the VARA regime, without securing any regulatory licenses, and as such operating in contravention of local

BitOasis receives MVP Operational License from Dubai Virtual asset regulator

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  As per Dubai VARA website, BitOasis, the crypto broker exchange has moved one step forward in its licensing process. It has become the first among VARA’s crypto broker dealers to receive MVP (Minimum Viable Product). operational license one step before the FMP ( Full Minimum Product) Operational License.   CoinMENA, Scallops, and MidChains are still in the first stage as MVP provisional while GCEX has received an MVP preparatory license one step before MVP operational license. BitOasis applied for VARA licensing in March 2022. At the time BitOasis had carried out crypto trades worth $4 billion. Ola Doudin Co-Founder and CEO of BitOasis has stated at the time, “   “We will continue to strive to offer our customers the most customized platform for their local needs in accordance with regulations that will best protect them both now and as the industry evolves.” In April of 2021, BitOasis announced that it had been granted a a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the Financial