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
The Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC) sharply increased its exposure to Bitcoin in Q3 2025, tripling its holdings in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF. Regulatory filings show that ADIC boosted its position from 2.4 million shares to 8 million shares as of September 30, raising the value of its stake to nearly $518 million by the end of the quarter. According to Bloomberg, the buying spree occurred just before…
Read More »HSBC is preparing to significantly broaden its tokenized deposit services, with plans to roll out the solution to corporate clients in the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next year, according to a Bloomberg News report published Tuesday. The global banking giant already offers tokenized deposits in Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and Luxembourg. The upcoming expansion marks another major step in its adoption of digital money infrastructure…
Read More »The UAE’s digital asset ecosystem continues to evolve as Zand, the country’s AI-powered digital bank, secures approval from the Central Bank of the UAE to launch Zand AED, a regulated AED-backed stablecoin deployed on public blockchains. This development places Zand at the center of the UAE’s regulated digital finance environment, while adding a new tool for institutions, fintechs, and developers building on blockchain. Zand AED enters the market at a…
Read More »For years, crypto was shaped by a culture of self-trading — a world where investors managed their own custody, execution, and risk. That era introduced millions to digital assets, but it also cemented a perception of the industry as speculative and chaotic. Today, that perception is changing. A new phase of sophisticated crypto finance is emerging, one built on structured products, institutional frameworks, and regulated access. This shift is especially…
Read More »Binance, the world’s leading blockchain ecosystem and operator of the largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume and users, is set to host a highly anticipated debate between CZ, Founder of Giggle Academy and Co-Founder of Binance, and renowned economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff. The debate will take place on December 4th during Binance Blockchain Week 2025, running from December 3–4 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. Bitcoin vs Tokenized…
Read More »VAF Compliance, a leading Dubai-based RegTech and compliance advisory firm, has officially launched AI Policy360, an intelligent compliance policy generator designed to strengthen the UAE’s anti-money laundering (AML) preparedness ahead of the upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation. AI Policy360 exemplifies VAF Compliance’s commitment to financial integrity and innovation under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) — a strategic initiative aiming to double Dubai’s economy and position it among…
Read More »The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) and Indonesia’s Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on supervisory cooperation to deepen collaboration in the area of virtual assets. Mr. Hasan Fawzi and Mr. Matthew White Strengthening Ties Between Two Leading Virtual Asset Markets The partnership between the two regulators aims to enhance regulatory and supervisory coordination between Indonesia, one of the largest global retail markets for…
Read More »The Dubai Digital Economy Court has upheld a worldwide freezing order tied to the $456 million reserve shortfall that forced Justin Sun to rescue TrueUSD (TUSD) token holders earlier this year. The order targets funds allegedly diverted from the stablecoin’s reserves into illiquid investments managed by Aria Commodities DMCC, a Dubai-based trade finance firm. Funds Allegedly Misused in Illiquid Ventures According to the claimant, Techteryx Ltd, which owns TrueUSD, funds…
Read More »The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has released the findings of its AI Survey 2025, revealing a major surge in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) over the past year. According to the report, 52% of DFSA-authorised firms are now actively using AI — up from 33% in 2024 — marking a 57% year-on-year increase. The growth is even more pronounced in the use of…
Read More »The UAE government has officially conducted its first-ever national transaction using the Digital Dirham, marking a historic step toward building a fully digital economy. The transaction was executed jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Dubai Department of Finance, in collaboration with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE), according to an announcement made on Tuesday. A Landmark in the UAE’s Financial Digitalization Drive This milestone highlights the UAE’s…
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