MENA News
Discover the latest blockchain and crypto news from the MENA region, including updates from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman, covering trends, regulations, and developments shaping the industry
Emirates NBD has issued AED 1 billion in 3-year fixed-rate Digitally Native Notes (DNNs) — the first-ever AED-denominated digital bond and the largest public digital bond issuance in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Listed on Nasdaq Dubai, the issuance highlights the bank’s leadership in digital assets and reinforces the UAE’s position as a hub for digital capital markets innovation. A Fully Digital Bond Issued on Distributed Ledger…
Read More »With the rapid expansion of digital asset use, the dual challenge of fast growth and the need to strengthen cybersecurity and corporate governance is becoming increasingly evident. In a global landscape where the digital asset sector has often been exposed only to dry or cautionary regulatory language, Dubai has chosen a different path. The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has released a short video series titled “VA Tales: What Went…
Read More »DKK Digital has secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) License for Virtual Asset Advisory Services by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), strengthening its position within the UAE’s regulated digital asset ecosystem. The new license authorizes DKK Digital to provide regulated virtual asset advisory services in and from Dubai, expanding its scope of operations under one of the world’s most comprehensive regulatory frameworks for digital assets. The approval builds…
Read More »Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Binance Bahrain, the regulated subsidiary of Binance, marking a regional first for bank-led crypto integration in the Gulf. Subject to final approval from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the agreement positions BBK as the first bank in the GCC to join the Binance Link Program, reinforcing Bahrain’s role as a regulated hub for digital finance.…
Read More »Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange by users and trading volume, sponsored the Economy Stage at this year’s 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai. Taken place from January 9 to 11, 2026, the three-day summit is the world’s largest gathering of content creators, digital platforms, brands, and media leaders. The event, which hosted over 15,000 content creators and over 420 speakers, serves as a global platform for dialogue, collaboration, and…
Read More »Fuze has appointed Serena Sebastiani, formerly PwC Middle East’s virtual assets consulting lead, as its new Group Chief Strategy and Venture Officer, strengthening the company’s leadership team as it scales its financial infrastructure across the Middle East, Turkey, and beyond. Sebastiani joins Fuze at a time when the region’s digital assets sector is moving from early experimentation toward institutional-scale deployment. Her appointment is intended to reinforce the company’s strategic direction…
Read More »The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has implemented a revised regulatory framework for Crypto Tokens in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), a major update to its digital assets regime as the market continues to mature. The new rules, which came into force on January 12, 2026, are designed to strengthen market integrity, improve regulatory clarity, and support the responsible development of digital assets within the DIFC. They follow a…
Read More »A high-level business delegation of Dubai’s real estate company DAMAC Properties, including Damac Group Co-Managing Director Amira Hussain Sajwani, met senior Pakistani officials this week to discuss collaboration on emerging technologies, including blockchain, tokenization, PropTech and artificial intelligence, as part of Islamabad’s drive toward a digital economy and financial sector reform. The visiting delegation also included Chief of Staff Alp Ozenalp, One Homes Chief Commercial Officer Aqib Hassan and Prypco General Manager Tokenisation…
Read More »RAKBANK has informed the market that it has received in-principle approval from the Central Bank of the UAE to issue an AED-backed stablecoin, subject to the completion of regulatory and operational requirements. The update was shared as part of a statement outlining the bank’s latest progress in digital assets, and comes as UAE regulators continue to formalize the role of bank-issued payment tokens within the country’s financial system. A Direction…
Read More »The Middle East is emerging as a major force in the global digital asset economy, with annual virtual asset transactions in the region surpassing $500 billion and a rapidly expanding opportunity in the tokenization of real-world assets, according to new research released by financial infrastructure firm Fuze. In its 2026 spotlight report on virtual assets in the Middle East, Fuze estimates that tokenizing assets such as real estate and commodities…
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