This article has been updated to include comments from the press office of Lady Mone. The Aston Plaza in Dubai, a major bitcoin (BTC) real estate project, is reportedly pausing its operations, British daily news agency The Times reports on April 28. The $325 million project — developed by founder of the Ultimo lingerie brand Michelle Mone and her billionaire partner Douglas Barrowman back in 2017 — includes 1,300 luxury apartments, with at least 150 units planned to be sold in bitcoin. Touted as the first major development of this size to be available for purchase in cryptocurrency, the Aston …

The blockchain platform built by one of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) two telecoms operators has received an official endorsement from the government as part of the country’s blockchain integration, executives confirmed in a press release on April 3. Du, formerly known officially as Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, created its Blockchain-Platform-as-a-Service (BPaas) to offer cloud-based private blockchain hosting compatible with both Ethereum (ETH) and the Hyperledger Fabric. Now, the platform has received the seal of approval from Smart Dubai, the government organization in charge of transforming state-level services with the leveraging of disruptive technologies by 2021. “The Dubai blockchain agenda …

Dubai-based real estate giant Emaar has announced plans to launch a token and is considering holding an initial coin offering (ICO) in Europe, English-language local media Arabian Business reports on March 11. Per the article, the token will be developed by Swiss blockchain startup Lykke, and will grant Emaar’s customers and stakeholders access to the referral and loyalty system across the entire company. Emaar is the largest real estate company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), responsible for the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Fountain, Dubai Mall and Dubai Opera. According to its Wikipedia page, Emaar Properties boasts a revenue of $5.83 …

The article has been updated to reflect a mistake in the name of the Sheikh involved in the funding, who is Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, not Sheikh Ahmed bin Al Maktoum. Dubai royal Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum is backing Lichtenstein-based cryptocurrency fund manager Invao, according to a report from Bloomberg on Feb 5. The fund management firm purportedly aims to secure more investors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Sheikh’s private office, known simply as The Private Office, will reportedly help Invao to secure funding in the UAE. The Private Office also invests in cryptocurrencies …

Indian police have arrested an associate of a group accused of conducting a crypto scam involving 5 billion rupees (about $71.6 million), English-language local media The Indian Express reports Jan. 7. This is the fourth arrest of the ongoing case and reportedly occurred a year after Thane police uncovered the alleged scam in Mumbai. The man, Rohit Kumar, has reportedly been arrested by Delhi police acting on a complaint from a Kanpur resident. According to the police, Amit Lakhanpal — the man who launched the allegedly scam cryptocurrency — is the CEO of a real estate firm. The police also …

The Advisory Council of the United Arab Emirates Banks Federation (UBF) discussed applying blockchain in its member banks, according to the Dubai-based English language newspaper Gulf News on Dec. 17. The Advisory Council of UBF, a non-profit organization representing 50 member banks in the country, considered using blockchain to improve Know Your Customer (KYC) processes at entrant banks. UBF’s chairman, Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, claimed that the discussed initiative represents an effort to create and maintain a “thriving banking ecosystem.” Participants also discussed issues pertaining to the country’s national digital transformation program and Emiratization — a government employment initiative to …

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has won a preliminary injunction against Dubai-based Alibabacoin Foundation in a lawsuit over the misleading use of Alibaba in their name, financial website MarketWatch reports Wednesday, Oct. 24. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has sided with the Chinese corporation during the trademark infringement case hearing Monday, Oct. 22. Judge James Paul Oetken, as cited by MarketWatch, said that consumer confusion could occur due to the similarity of trademarks; therefore, the Alibabacoin Foundation should not use the confusing "Alibaba" part for its brand anywhere in the U.S. According to the Wall …

In some countries around the world, governments have had a stifling effect on the adoption of blockchain technology. Conversely, the government of the UAE and Dubai have been the driving force behind the promotion of blockchain use in the country. 2018 has seen some significant developments on this front but the foundations had been laid a couple of years ago. Across the private and public sectors, there has been a push to incorporate this new tech to overhaul current systems. This includes as plans to launch a cryptocurrency that will be used by citizens and governmental departments. EmCash The first …

Coming every Sunday, the Hodler’s Digest will help you to track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions, and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link. Top Stories This Week CNBC’s Ran Neuner Claims Bitcoin’s Price Is Set To “Explode” Ran Neuner, crypto analyst and host of CNBC’s show Cryptotrader, said this week that the price of Bitcoin is “about to explode.” In a series of tweets, the trader predicted that a notable Bitcoin rally could be tied to the SEC’s upcoming decision …

Consumers in Dubai will soon be able to use digital currency to pay for goods, services, and utilities following a new government partnership, a press release confirms Tuesday, Oct. 9. The deal between emcredit, a subsidiary of the Dubai Department of Economic Development, blockchain payment provider Pundi X, and its partner Ebooc Fintech & Loyalty Labs LLC will facilitate point of sale (PoS) payments in emcredit’s emcash currency. Ebooc will provide PoS terminals for in-store payments, while Pundi X plans to roll out 100,000 units globally over the next three years, the press release notes. Emcash is pegged to the …

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s national securities regulator plans to introduce Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) for capital markets in 2019, Reuters reported Oct. 8. Reuters notes that the regulator has embraced the innovative fundraising model to diversify the means through which companies can raise capital, noting that in recent years, “weak” equity markets, coupled with low oil prices, have been adversely impacting Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in the country and wider region. Reuters quotes the CEO of the country’s national securities watchdog, Obaid Saif al-Zaabi, as saying that: “The board of the Emirates Securities & Commodities Authority [ESCA] has approved …

A senior Dubai law enforcement official has predicted that digital currency will “soon” usurp cash, local news outlet Khaleej Times reported Sunday, September 16. Speaking during a panel he was heading, Lt-Gen Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, deputy chairman of the Dubai Police and head of general security in Dubai, said that hurdles to digital currency becoming mainstream remained in lack of public awareness and insufficient crime prevention tactics. “...Faith in digital currencies will always be questioned as long as its source and tracking system remain unknown,” the Times paraphrases Tamim. Dubai has taken a progressive-stance on both cryptocurrency and blockchain regulation …