CoinMENA, a soon-to-launch cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Bahrain, has obtained a license from the Central Bank of Bahrain, or CBB. The newly acquired “Crypto Assets Services Company License” allows CoinMENA to operate fully as a regulated crypto exchange and onshore platform, the company announced on Sunday. The CBB’s license ensures that CoinMENA meets all of the operational, technical and security requirements set by the central bank. As CoinMENA plans to roll out its services in the Middle East and North Africa, or MENA, countries — including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman — CoinMENA is also …

Data published by Arcane Research suggests that despite demand for peer-to-peer crypto trading platforms in the middle east, regulations and lack of infrastructure is slowing down adoption. But undocumented migrants in western countries have been making use of these platforms to send money back home. According to an October report from the firm, peer-to-peer crypto trading volume, or P2P, across the Middle East and Northern Africa is roughly 15% what it was in late 2017 on major platforms LocalBitcoins and Paxful — or roughly $682,000 a week. “In general, there are several centralized exchanges providing services in the more developed …

A cybercriminal group has allegedly stolen around $200 million from cryptocurrency exchanges over the past two years. In total, they are believed to have hit 10 - 20 victims across the United States, the Middle East, and Asia. According to research by the cybersecurity firm ClearSky, the gang named “CryptoCore,” known with other pseudonyms like “Dangerous Password” and “Leery Turtle,” has been actively targeting crypto firms since 2018 — specifically exchanges. Source: ClearSky They confirmed that CryptoCore stole $200 million from at least five victims, several of whom were located in Japan. Between 10-20 additional companies could be affected The …

Zain Group — a leading telecoms provider in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region — has joined the governing council for enterprise-grade distributed ledger platform Hedera Hashgraph. Zain provides mobile voice and data services to over 49.5 million active customers and has a commercial presence in eight countries in the MENA region — including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Zain’s joining of the council represents a regional first, Hedera’s announcement on June 15 claims. Hadera Hashgraph and its governing members To realize its aim of establishing a more secure internet using public blockchain technology, Hedera Hashgraph’s …

Aergo and Blocko, two blockchain firms backed by both Samsung and Sequoia Capital, announced the launch of a regional consortium intended to bolster the adoption of innovative technologies across the Middle East, African, and South East Asian (MEASEA) regions on April 27. The organization, Execution Intelligence Group (E24P) seeks to promote ‘smart’ governance, tourism, supply chain, and finance solutions that leverage blockchain coupled with artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, E24P comprises Aergo, Blocko, remittance startup Topos, Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan family — one of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) six ruling families, and “a leading UK and China-based research institute.” DLT …

One of the financial hubs of the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is continuing to expand blockchain-driven developments. The Department of Economic Development (DED) of Dubai has established a Know Your Customer (KYC) blockchain consortium with six major banks. Dubbed “KYC Blockchain Consortium,” the new blockchain-powered regulatory platform is designed to accelerate processes like exchange of digital customer data and documents while ensuring security. The project also intends to bring a unified platform of KYC efforts among existing and future ecosystem members like qualified financial institutions and licensing authorities. UAE’s first KYC blockchain platform to launch in Q1 …

As global blockchain adoption is accelerating, countries in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are forecasted to massively increase their spending on the tech in the next few years. According to a new report by United States-based market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), governments across MEA will see a 400% surge in their investment to blockchain-based solutions in four years. MEA to increase blockchain spending from $21 million in 2019 to $105 million by 2023 Issued on Feb. 12, the IDC report outlines that blockchain tech is increasingly growing its share in digital transformation initiatives in the MEA region. …

The UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) together with the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Dubai Healthcare City and other relevant authorities has launched a blockchain-based health data storage platform. According to The Emirates News Agency on Feb. 2, the blockchain-based platform aims to improve the efficiency of MoHAP and other health authorities' smart health services. It will help users streamline the search for health facilities and its licensed medical and technical personnel, as well as inquire about medicine supply chains. According to Dr. Lubna Al Shaali, the Director of the Public Health Policy Department, the new data storage blockchain …

Saudi Arabia’s state oil company, Saudi Aramco, has bought into the blockchain-based oil trading company Vakt, Reuters reports on Jan. 28. Saudi Aramco’s Energy Ventures branch has bought $5 million in new shares, according to Vakt’s press release. The investment will be used to develop the platform, with a focus on expansion into the Asian market. In addition to investment, the oil conglomerate’s trading subsidiary Aramco Trading is set to use the Vakt platform. The platform is currently live in the North Sea Brent, Forties, Oseberg, Ekofisk and Troll crude oil markets, where it reports to have a high market …

On Dec. 2, Italian soccer giant Juventus revealed that the long wait for its much-hyped fan token had finally come to an end. In regard to the matter, news of the deal first came to light back in 2018, when it was revealed that the token would allow holders to take part in a host of voting and polling-related decisions. It has been reported that the $JUV coin took nearly a year and a half of full-time development and was created by the club in conjunction with Socios, a tokenized fan-voting platform for sports. Fans who possess the token will …

The Algorand Foundation announced that its blockchain platform is now certified for Sharia-compliant financing. According to a press release on Oct. 21, Islamic institutions can now start using the proof-of-stake Algorand blockchain for economic exchange, stating: “Islamic enterprises will now be able to realise new business opportunities on a platform that is congruent to their finance guidelines.” Although Algorand obtained the certification for Sharia financing, each decentralized application built on Algorand will need to be evaluated and vetted individually for compliance. The Algorand Foundation recognizes the importance of Islamic financial markets to the global economy and therefore enlisted Bahrain’s Shariyah …

Dubai-based fintech company Wethaq has entered into a strategic partnership with enterprise software firm R3, in order to create a platform for issuing and trading sukuk securities based on R3’s Corda offering. A platform for Islamic securities According to a press release on Aug. 28, Wethaq’s platform is built on R3’s open source enterprise blockchain platform Corda, and the company has been taking steps to ensure that it is likewise compliant with Sharia Law. Wethaq’s platform is reportedly designed to improve the market infrastructure for issuing and trading sukuk securities. Sukuk is heavily regulated and demands a considerable amount of …