Miriam Kiwan Departs Circle After Driving MEA Expansion and Regulatory Breakthroughs

Miriam Kiwan, who led Circle’s Middle East and Africa (MEA) expansion for over two and a half years, has announced her departure as the company celebrates its historic listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Her exit marks the end of a transformative chapter for both her and Circle, which became the first stablecoin issuer to go public.

In her farewell note, Miriam Kiwan reflected on her mission to establish the Middle East and Africa as pivotal players in digital finance. “Beyond a professional endeavor, expanding our regional footprint was a deeply personal mission aimed at positioning the Middle East and Africa as key players in digital finance,” she wrote, highlighting her dedication to enabling regional institutions to better serve their communities through stablecoins.

Circle’s Regulatory Breakthroughs Under Miriam Kiwan’s Leadership

During her tenure, Miriam Kiwan achieved notable milestones, including:

• Becoming the first approved issuer under DIFC’s crypto token framework.
• Securing in-principle approval from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority, laying the foundation for Circle to operate as a licensed money services provider in the UAE.

Under her leadership, Circle forged partnerships with major players such as Binance, OKX, LuLu Financial Holdings, Zodia Markets, Fuze, Garanti BBVA, Flutterwave, Onafriq, and Yellow Card. These collaborations drove USDC’s adoption for cross-border payments across Turkey, South Africa, and other MEA markets, contributing to its 100% year-on-year growth.

Miriam Kiwan’s Broader Impact in the Region

Prior to Circle, Miriam Kiwan held senior leadership roles at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), where she served as:

• Head of Digital Assets & Strategic Partnerships (Jan 2021 – Sep 2022), leading blockchain and digital asset initiatives.
• Head of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Aug 2018 – Oct 2019), supporting tech startups and ecosystem growth.
• Part of the Executive Chairman’s Office (Oct 2019 – Dec 2020), driving tech ecosystem engagement.

Her work at ADGM positioned Abu Dhabi as a competitive global hub for fintech and digital assets, a trajectory she carried forward at Circle to champion stablecoins for financial inclusion and efficiency across the MEA region.

What’s Next for Circle in the MEA Without Miriam Kiwan?

Miriam Kiwan’s departure inevitably raises questions about Circle’s next strategic moves in the Middle East and Africa. Her regulatory expertise, combined with a deep understanding of local market dynamics and stakeholder relationships, were instrumental in Circle’s achievements to date in the region.

In an industry where global firms often underestimate the nuanced realities of MEA markets, Miriam Kiwan represented a rare asset: a leader who could translate international strategy into meaningful regional execution. As the digital assets landscape becomes increasingly competitive and regulated, professionals like her are becoming scarce commodities — individuals with both the credibility to engage policymakers and the insight to drive adoption.

The question now is how Circle intends to move forward from her departure. Will it approach the region with the same Western-centric strategies that many global companies default to, often overlooking local context and partnership-building? Or has it learned from the experiences of others in the sector, recognizing that success here requires more than product-market fit — it demands authentic relationships, trust, and a tailored approach that reflects the unique regulatory, cultural, and economic factors at play?

Miriam Kiwan’s exit will undoubtedly test Circle’s regional strategy. Whether the company continues to build on the foundations she laid or risks retracing the missteps of firms that treated MEA as an extension of their global playbook remains to be seen.

A Word on Miriam Kiwan

Beyond her professionalism and achievements in the digital asset space, Miriam Kiwan is someone I have always valued for far more than her titles or expertise. She is one of the rare people with whom I could have truly meaningful discussions — conversations that went beyond markets, beyond strategy, and beyond work itself.

Whether exploring how we can leave a more positive impact on the world around us, Miriam Kiwan’s perspective was always grounded in authenticity, curiosity, and purpose. It is this combination of professional excellence and genuine human depth that makes her departure from Circle not just a strategic shift for the company, but a moment of reflection for all of us in the industry who value leadership that is driven by something greater than ambition alone.