KSA based Geidea, a leading fintech company in Saudi Arabia and Blockchain based payments solutions, WadzPay Middle East Technology (affiliate of WadzPay Worldwide) have forged a new strategic partnership to power the transformation of pilgrimage payments. Geidea is utilizing the issuance of an e-money wallet, specifically for Hajj and Umrah, to be used in over one million point-of-sale (POS) terminals deployed across multiple merchants throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. WadzPay blockchain-based payment solutions allow Hajj and Umrah pilgrims to set up their own e-Money wallets on their mobile devices to be used for their expenses. Once the wallet is loaded, the pilgrim is ready to spend in Saudi Arabia with lower transaction fees and a user-friendly refund process. According to Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index, Mecca attracted $20 billion in tourist dollars in 2018, second only to Dubai. The number of pilgrims is expected to increase sign...

  It all started with the FTX downfall and then Binance’s Co-Founder and CEO call for crypto exchanges to carry out proof of reserves. Since then crypto exchanges such as Binance and crypto.com have provided wallets addresses tied to company wallets while Nansen blockchain analytics firm is creating a display of crypto exchange proof of reserves dashboard that currently includes Binance, crypto.com, OkX, Kucoin, Deribit, Bitfinex, Github, and others. But what are locally homegrown crypto exchanges in MENA doing. Will they carry out proof of reserves, do they see it as the solution to bring trust back to crypto exchanges, and who has exposure to FTX?   MENA Crypto Exchanges and Proof of Reserves Bahrain based CoinMENA Talal Tabbaa and Dina Sama’an when asked by LaraontheBlock about if they will be doing proof of reserves stated, “This FTX news is a major setback for our industry and highlights the importance of regulation. This is why CoinMENA was established under the Ce...

    As the FTX debacle unfolds and FTX files for bankruptcy, CEO steps down, UAE VARA ( Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority) in Dubai has suspended FTX’s license. FTX MENA users brought in high revenues for FTX as it was considered as the third biggest revenue region for FTX.  While the crypto markets are in turmoil across the globe, it will also have an effect on the MENA region. FTX MENA CEO Balsam Danhach told Reuters in a previous interview,  "Our license expands to retail customers as well, however, it will be a gradual scale up to ensure that we approach the retail market within the guidelines set by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.” Danhach also told zawya in a recent interview that their operation in MENA region is the second to third region in terms of global revenue performance. At the time FTX had 6 million users with a trading volume of $12 billion per day. He stated in his interview with Zawya, talking about MENA and the importance of th...

  UAE based Mubadala Capital led a Series B funding round of $70 million for Ramp Network, whose claim their mission is to make Web3 a reality by enabling mainstream adoption of   products and services offered by pioneering blockchain ventures. Ramp Network does this by offering a payment infrastructure that connects crypto and traditional finance. “Ramp has established a clear lead in the crypto gaming space by delivering a superior user experience, leading conversion rates and strong regulatory compliance,” said Frederic Lardieg at Mubadala Capital Ventures. Among the investors was Korelya Capital,   Balderton Capital which led its $53 million Series A, and new investor Cogito Capital. The firm has now raised over $120 million in the past year. It offers a payment product that lets users buy cryptocurrencies inside any application or website, essentially the Web3 answer to services like PayPal (PYPL) or Stripe. Its customers include GameStop (GME), crypto-based ...

Alex Tapscott, author of Digital Asset Revolution and co-founder of the Blockchain Research Institute, hails Web3 and blockchain start-up, PermianChain for bringing the digital asset revolution to the natural resource sectors. Chapter 7 is dedicated to how blockchain creates value through natural asset tokens (NATs), mainly in oil and natural gas. Mohamed El-Masri, Founder and CEO of PermianChain and CEO of Brox Equity, explains the mechanics behind energy tokenization within a blockchain-enabled ecosystem.  El-Masri discusses how utilization of blockchain is changing the way exploration and production companies raise capital as well as how investors and consumers participate in a digital energy market with surplus or shortage.  PermianChain’s solution is a digital platform combining a blockchain, decentralized cloud storage and Web3 compatible features that supports two forms of digital economics, one being a security token and the other being a utility token. Chapter 7 of Di...

  Bahrain regulated CoinMENA, a crypto asset service provider - category 3 license holder has partnered with Carlton Real Estate, a Bahrain-based real estate agency, that allows investors in the Kingdom to purchase real estate property using crypto assets. Under the partnership, the leading Bahrain-based real estate broker will accept stablecoins like USDT and USDC. CoinMENA is a leading crypto asset service provider - category 3 that is regulated and licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain, serving the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The trading platform allows retail and institutional investors access to digital assets investments and directly connects their bank accounts with their CoinMENA wallets to facilitate quick and frictionless money transfers.  Carlton Real Estate, a Bahrain-based company established in 1996, is a certified broker with a RERA-Bahrain license and offers a wide range of real estate services to corporate and individual clients throughout ...

  As per a recent news report Standard Chartered backed institutional cryptocurrency exchange and brokerage firm focused on institutions, is expanding into Abu Dhabi in 2023. Abu Dhabi will be Zodia Markets first presence in the MENA region as it targets growth opportunities. Zodia went live in July 2022 in the United Kingdom. U.K.-based Zodia Markets is a sister company of Zodia Custody, the digital assets safekeeping platform. Both firms share the same majority shareholder in SC Ventures, the venture arm of Standard Chartered. At the time of its launch in UK the firm, was granted Financial Conduct Authority approval, with spot trading of bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH).  Zodia Markets has drafted an application to operate in Abu Dhabi but plans to submit a new one in early 2023 after extended talks with regulators. Chief executive Usman Ahmad told Financial News London that Abu Dhabi is attractive because it has been “forward-looking with respect to putting the regulatory fram...

  Siemens Energy in its belief that progress on clean energy solutions will provide golden opportunities and socio economic benefits has partnered with Abu Dhabi Investment Office to accelerate the journey to net zero with the Middle East Innovation center that will focus on Blockchain for energy applications among others. Under the partnership, Siemens Energy will receive support to set up its Middle East Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi, as part of ADIO’s AED 2 billion (USD 545 million) Innovation Program that creates growth opportunities for businesses in the emirate. The center represents one of four Siemens Energy-established global Innovation Centers, with other locations in Orlando in the United States, Shenzhen in China, and Berlin in Germany. These hubs are designed to bring customers, industrial partners, and academia together, and act as incubators for new startups, and technologies. The Siemens Energy Innovation Center will be located at the Khalifa University camp...

    It is not surprising that a Blockchain Fintech startup such as Abu Dhabi based Pyypl would raise $20 million in its Series B round from new and existing investors. Since its inception UAE based Pyypl with offices out of Hub71, has not only advocated financial inclusion but has built its technology to ensure it. It was name the one of the top 37 crypto startups to watch in 2022 by Techround UK. About 22 per cent of the GCC's population is unbanked, compared with 60 per cent in North Africa, according to a report by consultancy Strategy&. Blockchain enabled Pyypl provides digital payments and financial services for all smartphone users to carry out online transactions, without the need for a bank account or credit card.   Pyypl uses advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) for regulatory compliance, Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorism Financing (CTF). They are a full blockchain-native financial services backend-platform, ...

  MasterCard Start Path Program chooses two of the newly announced seven start-ups from UAE. They include Abu Dhabi digital asset exchange Fasset, as well as Dubai based TBTM (Take Back the Mic) Studios which is building the world’s first blockchain-based media fintech, turning culture into currency by rewarding fans and compensating creators for building communities around great content. In July 2022, Middle East and UK crypto exchange Fasset announced its collaboration with Mastercard to expand its financial reach in Indonesia, after the exchange raised $22 million USD. Fasset currently has operations in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Fasset was granted authorization by the Central Bank of Bahrain to test asset tokenization in the country’s fintech regulatory sandbox. MasterCard in its endeavor to enhance user experience in NFTs, Blockchain gaming and metaverse has chosen to collaborate with innovative fintech entities working in the Web3 and crypto sphere.  Mas...

  Capex.com, which already holds a brokerage license in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM FSRA has now been granted an in principle approval for a cryptocurrency license from Abu Dhabi Global Markets. CAPAX.com’s Founder and CEO, Octavian Pătrașcu, revealed that the new license will strengthen the brokerage platform’s cryptocurrency offerings in the lucrative Middle East and the North Africa (MENA) region. He stated on LinkedIN , “We are happy that we can start this new vertical under Capex.com and become closer to our main goal of offering a powerhouse of trading for our users, under one roof.” Crypto approval came in addition to the broker’s existing license from the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), gained in 2020, with which it offers traditional trading instruments. Capex platform's offerings are primarily trading services with forex and contracts for differences (CFDs) instruments of other popular asset classes. The platform quickly added crypto products as well, with...

    UAE Everdome, the interplanetary metaverse project will be launching its first rocket to Mars in December 2022. Everdome espouses 500,000 community members and partners including names like OKX crypto exchange, Alfa Romeo F1 team, and Pierre Gasly as well as others. As per the announcement the   rocket launch represents a significant milestone in the development of the metaverse, gradually taking this new digital frontier from a frequently misunderstood concept to tangible reality.   Everdome located in the United Arab Emirates at Hatta mountains, is where their web3 pioneers will embark first to their interplanetary spaceship ‘’Everdome Cycler’’ and then onwards to a new outpost for humanity on Mars.  The rocket launch stage will see the earliest Everdome supporters and adopters, named “Tier-1 Evernauts”, embark from the Hatta Spaceport to the Everdome Phoenix (EVR Phoenix), a spaceship design inspired by imaginable and viable technologies , created...

  Saudi Arabian, Saudi British Bank (SABB) is utilizing Contour Blockchain platform to enhance trade finance by improving letter of credit and guarantee procedures for enterprises and international businesses. SABB is working with local fintech entity Bwatech. SABB is now the first bank in KSA to provide the ability to exchange commercial documents digitally, facilitate the procedures for letters of credit using a decentralized technology, and reduce dependency on paper documents and the time required for document settlement in commercial transactions.   The Blockchain enabled Contour platform improves transaction security because the data that is shared on the network enjoys a high degree of protection and privacy, which reduces the risk of fraud. The Bwatech platform boosts the automation of bank guarantees. This service aims to replace paper-based procedures with advanced technical methods by linking banks issuing these guarantees with their beneficiaries to expedite ...

  UAE oil giant ADNOC ( Abu Dhabi Oil Company) is piloting a blockchain platform that will show how much CO2 was used to make products such as Murban crude ammonia, and aviation fuels. The pilot will be in cooperation with Siemens Energy AG.  Using smart sensor data gathered from across ADNOC’s operational chain, from oil to customer, CO2 utilization will be recorded onto a decentralized blockchain ledger. As per the press release, such transparency will allow independent regulators to certify the carbon intensity of products. It will also give customers greater confidence and clarity over the carbon footprint of their purchases. Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Executive Director, People, Technology & Corporate Support Directorate at ADNOC, said: “People typically associate blockchain technology with crypto currencies, but the use of decentralized ledgers has significant implications for the energy industry. This pilot promises to shine a digital spotlight into our manufacturing...

  UAE metaverse project Eikonikos is launching an NFT collection with Lebanese fashion designer Aiisha Ramadan. Aiisha Ramadan started her couture clothing line from the UAE in 2007, her base for more than 30 years. The new collaboration will set a milestone in the evolution of the digital fashion industry. Eikonikos built on the Cardano blockchain platform seeks to transform the landscape of ecommerce, dating, gaming and learning.  The company raised $2 million USD in March 2022. At that time Mohamed Vasif, founder and CEO of Eikonikos stated, “We are very determined to create a platform that directly competes and rivals metaverse giants like Decentraland and Sandbox.”   Vineeth, CMO and co-founder of Eikonikos added, “We will be able to interact with other Metaverse economies in the future. Building a dedicated and crypto-native audience that likes our dope Non-Fungible Token (NFT) designs, intense gameplay.” On August 5, 2022, Eikonikos launched a premium genesis ...

  Visa the Official Payment Technology Partner of FIFA unveiled Visa Masters of Movement, a first-of its-kind hybrid experience featuring a pre-event NFT auction and immersive activation for fans at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The Visa Masters of Movement auction features digital art inspired by iconic goals from five legendary footballers that have been minted into unique NFTs, available on Crypto.com. Later this month, the experience will come to life on an interactive pitch at the FIFA Fan Festival™ in Doha, Qatar and allow fans to create digital art inspired by their own signature movements.  Eligible fans will have the option to mint this digital art into their own NFT in partnership with Crypto.com, the official cryptocurrency trading platform sponsor of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Visa states, “As FIFA World Cup 2022™ approaches, we want to celebrate football, art and technology through the lens of what makes the FIFA World Cup™ so special – wildly impassioned fan...

  UAE DMCC, Dubai MultiCommodities Centre has signed an agreement with South Korea’s blockchain industry, Busan Metropolitan City, to support global development and adoption of blockchain and web3 technologies.   During a two-day roadshow of Seoul and Busan, DMCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with Busan Metropolitan City that will see the two parties work together on connecting the blockchain ecosystems in Dubai and Busan by hosting regular knowledge-sharing events and connecting crypto, blockchain and web3 businesses in the two cities. During a welcome speech at the Blockchain Week Busan event, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said, “Blockchain and web3 technologies are revolutionizing industries and sectors across the globe, from finance, healthcare and gaming to business operations such as supply chain management and the sale of goods and services. As we solidify the emirate’s position as a global capital for blockc...

  UK based Blockchain company Valereum has received consent from the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (“GFSC”) to complete the acquisition of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange (“GSX”). Valereum will utilize GSX to expand access of early stage and small cap companies in the Middle East, India and Africa to European Capital. In early 2022, Valereum stated that it would be purchasing 90% of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange (GSX) to create the world's first bourse where shares and crypto assets can be traded Valereum at the time stated that GSX would the first fully regulated bridge that links the fiat and crypto markets. As they noted at the time, "This will give listed instruments on the GSX access to a regulated pool of crypto capital that is not available anywhere else, and it will give cryptocurrency holders the ability to have a direct, verifiable holding in fiat securities." The recent press release notes that there is a significant gap in the available small cap m...

  All women luxury jet charter, ME Jets, partners with UAE digital asset service provider Hayvn to offer crypto payment services. ME Jets Managing Partner Amy Spicer, stated,   “With the crypto world being relatively unknown to us at ME Jets we wanted a company that would offer a lot of support when getting started, and HAYVN did just that.   Our requirement was to partner with a global company with a local presence based here in the UAE,that supports local companies and builds a trusted business relationship. " HAYVN CEO, Christopher Flinos, added, “Being an all-woman team who saw an opportunity, makes ME Jets pioneers in the aviation industry, much like HAYVN is in the digital asset space. Partnering with ME Jets ensures HAYVN continues our expansion of crypto payments into the aviation charter and brokerage industry, adding further credibility to our global presence and abilities”. Hayvn’s customers in UAE include DAMAC properties.

  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...