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
Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has delivered a clear message: regulatory frameworks are accompanied by actual enforcement. It has issued a fine against Morpheus Software Technology FZE, the UAE entity of Fuze, and appointed a Skilled Person to supervise its remediation plan. This marks a turning point for the region’s digital asset regulation. VARA with Teeth: Enforcement Over Frameworks A supervisory investigation begun in April 2025 revealed weaknesses in Fuze’s anti-money laundering…
Read More »A new development in institutional blockchain adoption is unfolding as KAIO announced it has expanded its suite of tokenized fund offerings on the Hedera network. Positioned as the first fully onchain infrastructure for regulated real-world assets (RWAs), KAIO is bridging the gap between traditional finance and decentralized markets. By leveraging Hedera’s high-performance, sustainable distributed ledger, the platform is bringing institutional-grade money markets and alternative investment strategies directly onchain. “This launch…
Read More »Just shy of a full year after announcing its strategic partnership with Bitpanda Technology Solutions on August 19, 2024, RAKBANK has delivered on its promise — officially rolling out retail crypto trading directly within its mobile banking app. The launch makes RAKBANK the first conventional bank in the UAE to offer retail customers the ability to buy, sell, and swap cryptocurrencies directly from their RAKBANK current or savings accounts, fully…
Read More »In a move signaling a major leap in industrial blockchain adoption, Changer.ae, a regulated UAE-based crypto custodian, has partnered with smart mobility and manufacturing company NWTN to deploy the region’s first stablecoin-based infrastructure for the mobility and manufacturing sectors. This strategic alliance not only showcases the maturing digital asset ecosystem under Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) oversight but also positions Changer.ae at the heart of a real-world use case transformation—where…
Read More »In a strategic move to enhance investor protection and market stability, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has implemented sweeping amendments to its Virtual Asset Regulatory Framework, effective June 10, 2025. These reforms, following Consultation Paper No. 11 of 2024, reflect ADGM’s alignment with international best practices and its growing reputation as a regulated hub for digital asset innovation. The analysis below is based on a comprehensive summary shared with…
Read More »The UAE has taken a major step toward unified crypto regulation as the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) announce a strategic partnership to create a streamlined and globally competitive regulatory framework for virtual assets. This groundbreaking collaboration aims to harmonize policies, enhance supervisory oversight, and eliminate regulatory duplication across the country’s crypto and blockchain ecosystem—signaling a unified national approach to digital asset governance.…
Read More »The MANTRA Inveniam partnership marks a dramatic turn in the RWA tokenization space, as Layer-1 blockchain MANTRA secures a $20 million strategic investment from U.S.-based Inveniam Capital Partners to expand its regulated infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Announced on August 5, 2025, the deal represents a shift in momentum for MANTRA following its recent token crisis. The new capital will power the integration of Inveniam’s data operations and AI…
Read More »At the heart of the MENA region’s digital finance transformation, Qatar has taken another step forward. The inaugural Digital Assets Policy Roundtable, held in Doha and co-hosted by the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) and Global Stratalogues, brought together top global regulators, innovators, and policymakers to chart a pragmatic and inclusive course for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. Strategically aligned with the Qatar Economic Forum, the closed-door event showcased Qatar’s ambition to…
Read More »The University of Sharjah has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Binance Academy, the educational arm of the global blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure leader, Binance. The new agreement is a new milestone in fostering long-term collaboration in blockchain research, education, talent development, and innovation. Under the agreement, both institutions will jointly pursue a series of strategic initiatives. These include the development of specialized academic programs, joint research projects,…
Read More »Figment, one of the world’s largest independent providers of institutional staking infrastructure, has taken a decisive step into the Middle East, appointing Christoph Richter as its first Head of Business Development for the region. In an exclusive interview with Unlock Blockchain, Richter shared why the UAE was chosen as Figment’s entry point, how a new partnership with Tungsten will shape their growth, and why staking could become an integral part…
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