A new blockchain and cryptocurrency-focused association has been launched within Abu Dhabi's free economic zone that aims to further the development of blockchain and crypto ecosystems across the Middle Eastern, North Africa, and Asian regions. The Middle East, Africa & Asia Crypto & Blockchain Association (MEAACBA) was officially launched on Nov. 8 in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), a free economic zone based in the center of the city subject to its own set of civil and commercial laws. The zone was designed to further the growth of fintech companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The non-profit organization …

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) announced Nov. 1 that its Crypto Token regime has come into force in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) special economic zone, with a six-month transition period. The new regime is the DFSA’s second round of regulations, building on the Regulation of Investment Tokens introduced at the DIFC in October 2021. The #DFSA has issued regulations on #CryptoTokens for clients wishing to make use of this new asset class. This broadens the range of virtual asset regimes available the Centre, building on the #InvestmentTokens regulations announced in Oct. 2021. pic.twitter.com/OJX7frlVqc — DIFC (@DIFC) November …

A Hong Kong-headquartered crypto investment platform, Q9 Capital, received provisional virtual asset approval from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA). The company announced its expansion to the UAE and applied for a full operating license as well. According to its press release from Oct. 27, Q9 will establish a regional hub in Dubai and start providing services to qualified investors and financial service providers once it receives a full operating license. The provisional approval from VARA gives the crypto platform the legal possibility to set up offices and provide digital asset exchange services to pre-qualified investors and financial firms. At …

Members of a 4,400-strong Discord group called the “UST Restitution Group” (URG) have been attempting to track down the whereabouts of Terra co-founder Do Kwon. Members of the group, seemingly out of frustration at the lack of results from law enforcement agencies, are scouring the internet for clues and sharing them with the group in an attempt to track down Kwon. Members have suggested that he could be residing in places such as Russia, Dubai, Azerbaijan, or even on a yacht. Their continuing efforts come despite authorities in South Korea taking significant steps to bring Kwon to justice, with a …

21Shares, a major global provider of cryptocurrency exchange trading products (ETP), is debuting a physical Bitcoin (BTC) ETP in the United Arab Emirates. The new 21Shares Bitcoin ETP has started trading on the international financial exchange Nasdaq Dubai under the ticker ABTC, the firm announced on Oct. 12. The newly launched crypto product is physically backed, which means that it’s fully collateralized by the underlying Bitcoin assets they track with 1:1 leverage, 21Shares co-founder and CEO Hany Rashwan told Cointelegraph. The ETP’s underlying crypto assets are deposited in an offline wallet to ensure better security, he noted. 21Shares’ expansion into …

Even though one of the stars of the show is a talking robot, human interaction was still the highlight of the recent Blockchain Economy Dubai Summit 2022 held at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre. Titan, an 8-foot-tall talking robot previously seen on Britain's Got Talent 2022, was one of the event's main attractions. The robot gave a Transformers-like introduction at the beginning of the event and mingled with the audience at various times. Cointelegraph was involved in various aspects of the event including interviewing keynote speakers like Bitcoin.com CEO Dennis Jarvis and former NFL player Lewis Neal. Apart …

As the decentralized finance (DeFi) space remains plagued with hacks, people have become less interested in jumping in and engaging with DeFi. But according to Dennis Jarvis, the CEO of Bitcoin.com, there is a way for DeFi adoption to move forward through Bitcoin (BTC). In a keynote speech at the Blockchain Economy Dubai Summit 2022, Jarvis pointed out that massive losses of investor funds like the collapse of Terra and the Axie Infinity Ronin hack have made DeFi unappealing to potential users. However, the executive believes that by using Bitcoin as a hook, DeFi can overcome the onboarding crisis brought …

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Economy has announced a new headquarters located where anyone in the world can visit — the Metaverse. According to the Gulf News, the announcement was made on Sept. 28 by UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri during the Dubai Metaverse Assembly, with the minister stating “this is not a proof of concept, this is our third address” before giving a live tour of the virtual headquarters. The headquarters will feature a multiple story building, each serving a different purpose. Visitors will be able to take a ticket, which will prompt a …

Crypto exchange Binance received a Minimal Viable Product (MVP) license from Dubai's Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), enabling the crypto exchange to offer a range of virtual asset services to qualified retail and institutional investors, the company disclosed on Tuesday. The development follows the issuance of the provisional license granted in March, that permitted the company to set up an office in the United Arab Emirates and provide digital asset exchange services to pre-qualified investors and financial firms. With the new permission, Binance will be able to offer a range of virtual asset-related services to qualified retail and institutional investors …

Amid Dubai moving forward with a new license program for cryptocurrency service providers, local regulators are introducing additional marketing and advertising rules for the industry. Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA), the city’s dedicated crypto regulator, reportedly announced new regulatory guidelines on marketing, advertising and promotions of virtual assets on Aug. 25. In the rules, the VARA referred to all forms of outreach, communications and advertising, dissemination of information, building awareness, customer engagement, investor solicitation and others, the local news agency Gulf News reported. The guidelines cover all virtual asset-related communications and entities publishing information on Dubai-based media websites, search …

Despite the ongoing cryptocurrency market decline and associated forced layoffs in major crypto firms, a career in crypto doesn’t turn less attractive to many traditional finance executives. European crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) provider 21Shares announced three major hires on Wednesday to expand its presence in countries like France, Germany and the United Arab Emirates. Marina Baudéan, 21Shares’ newly appointed head of France, Belgium and Luxembourg, is debuting her crypto career after working for more than 15 years at the British universal bank Barclays. Baudéan is confident that crypto is “all about the next generation of technology,” and it’s here to …

Crypto exchange OKX has acquired a provisional virtual assets license granted by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), allowing them to offer additional services to qualified investors and financial services providers in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a statement, the OKX team told Cointelegraph that the license allows them to extend products and services in the region. Following this, the exchange will also facilitate research and knowledge sharing within the VARA regulatory ecosystem. The team underscored that regulatory compliance is a priority for them as it protects users. According to Tim Byun, government relations officer at OK Group, …