Skip to content Skip to Search
Skip navigation

Blockchain

Real estate tokenisation would allow buyers to own parts of Dubai's skyscrapers

Dubai moves to formalise real estate tokenisation

Dubai is running a pilot scheme that allows for the tokenisation of property title deeds, the first jurisdiction in the Middle East to do this. Tokenisation is the process of creating and trading digital tokens that are backed by real-world assets on a blockchain. It enables direct and verifiable peer-to-peer transactions. Through the process, a […]

Binance CEO Richard Teng said the company is committed to partnering with global regulators to "establish transparent, responsible, and forward-thinking policies for the crypto industry"

MGX makes $2bn crypto investment in Binance

UAE technology investment company MGX has invested $2 billion-worth of stablecoins into Binance, the world’s largest exchange for digital tokens by trading volume and users, according to a statement. Binance said on Wednesday that acquisition of a minority stake in MGX is the “biggest-ever” injection of funds into a crypto company, the largest investment ever […]

A cryptocurrency exchange shop in Istanbul, Turkey. Hyperinflation over the past few years has pushed Turks toward embracing cryptocurrencies

Currency woes underpin Mena preference for stablecoin

Cryptocurrency traders in the Middle East and North Africa prefer stablecoins over single crypto currencies like Bitcoin, data show. Stablecoins made up 52 percent of all cryptocurrency transactions carried out in the Mena region in the year to June 2024, according to New York-based blockchain analysis company Chainalysis.  That is more than the 17 percent […]

Bybit customers withdrew more than $5bn from the Dubai-based exchange after the hack

Dubai crypto regulator Vara monitoring Bybit hack

Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (Vara) has said it is “actively monitoring” the fallout from a $1.4 billion hack at Bybit, a cryptocurrency exchange that has fallen victim to what it calls crypto’s largest heist. Dubai-based Bybit said hackers exploited a smart contract – a self-executing program that automates blockchain transactions – during a routine […]

A wind farm project east of Addis Ababa; Ethiopia’s renewable energy resources make it an attractive location for bitcoin mining operations

Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Group signs Ethiopian power deal

Abu Dhabi-based technology conglomerate Phoenix Group has acquired an 80 megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia. It follows just weeks after the company launched a 50MW cryptocurrency mining facility in North Dakota in the US.  A PPA is usually a long-term electricity supply agreement. The deal, secured in partnership with UAE cybersecurity company […]

A rendering of the Dubai Crypto Tower that is intended to house blockchain companies

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre announces “Crypto Tower”

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and software company Reit Development have announced plans to build a 17-storey “Crypto Tower” that they say will demonstrate the use of blockchain technology.  Blockchain will be used for tenant interactions and transactions through the use of on-chain voting mechanisms, shared resources, smart contracts and other automated services. The 150,000 sq […]

Residences on Palm Jumeirah island in Dubai. It is hoped tokenisation will encourage a new type of real-estate investor

Dubai targets broader real-estate access with tokens

Dubai plans to widen access to the real-estate sector by allowing tokenisation, which converts real-estate assets into digital tokens on a blockchain. This will enable the fractional ownership of properties, which in theory will attract more retail and institutional investors, a senior official in the emirate’s real estate regulator has said. Fractional ownership allows investors […]

Vero Video length: 04:08

Vero Labs taps into the fan-based asset economy

Vero Labs, the social networking company owned by the Lebanese billionaire Ayman Hariri, has partnered with the blockchain platform Avalanche to tap into the multi-trillion-dollar fan-based asset economy sector of the sports and entertainment industry.  Last year Vero Labs acquired Tokenise Stock Exchange, a regulated global marketplace where users can buy, sell and trade fan-based […]

Growing interest in AI applications has strained existing data centre capacity and fuelled demand for energy

Dubai’s Hodler in global AI data centre partnership

Dubai’s Hodler Investments has partnered with US technology company Vertical Data to launch “sustainable” artificial intelligence data centres in the UAE, the Gulf, Africa and Canada. The companies said they are targeting rising demand for high-performance computing. Growing interest in AI applications has strained existing data centre capacity and fuelled intense demand for energy to […]

A bitcoin ATM kiosk in Krakow, Poland. A recent report suggests 13 nations already hold bitcoin as a reserve currency

The ‘race is on’ to set up bitcoin national reserves

The concept of national bitcoin reserves is moving from theoretical discussion to geopolitical reality. A member of Russia’s parliament has called on its central bank to consider bitcoin as a reserve asset, it was reported last week. Thirteen nations already hold the cryptocurrency, according to a report released this month by bitcoin exchange River. The […]

The Bitcoin Mena conference in Abu Dhabi, where AE Coin announced its approval

UAE stablecoin gets green light from Central Bank

UAE businesses could soon be able to accept AE Coin, the first regulated cryptocurrency in the Emirates. The AE Coin, which has just received regulatory approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, is pegged to the dirham, making it less volatile than other cryptocurrencies. Cryptos tied to a fiat, or government-issued, currency are known as […]

Crypto traders brokers stock exchange investors analyzing trading charts.

Duo dream big with Abu Dhabi’s first tokenised treasuries fund

The first tokenised treasury bill fund licensed in the Abu Dhabi Global Market launched on Thursday, with its creators hoping to attract $100 million from investors within a year. Such funds buy United States treasuries, which are US government bonds, and then create a blockchain-based token to represent these assets, thereby enabling digital, fractional ownership […]

CrowdStrike's stock price fell after problems with its computer security software but UAE investors have shown interest

UAE investors snap up AI stocks after price drop

UAE investors poured money into artificial intelligence stocks during the third quarter, capitalising on underperforming shares, data from retail trading platform eToro indicates. Blockchain and AI dominated the investments made during the three-month period, as buyers seemingly looked for long-term potential, despite short-term challenges.  The value of CrowdStrike Holdings plummeted more than 40 percent in […]

Ahmed bin Sulayem told AGBI that AI impacts every sector within DMCC Video length: 03:30

Dubai AI leaders call for global regulations

Digital economy leaders in the UAE called for the global unification of artificial intelligence regulations at the launch of DMCC’s AI Centre last week.  Dubai issued a universal blueprint for AI earlier this year, but a unified framework governing the growing AI technology sector is still lacking.  “How can you disregard the artificial intelligence sector […]

The funds stolen from cryptocurrency exchange Rain were converted into Bitcoin and Ethereum to disguise their origin

Crypto exchange Rain suffers $15m hack

Rain, a cryptocurrency exchange regulated in both the UAE and Bahrain, has confirmed a serious hack resulting in losses reportedly nearing $15 million.  The exchange said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that customer funds remain secure despite the incident.  The security breach occurred on April 29 and was first detected by blockchain […]

Between 80 and 90 percent of global trade relies on trade finance, which is mostly short-term

Finance platform aims at $2.5trn trade funding hole

A blockchain-based platform that lets institutions and wealthy individuals provide finance to importers and exporters for returns of up to 9 percent a year could help fill a multi-trillion-dollar hole in international trade, it says. In trade finance, the involvement of third-party financial companies removes payment and supply risks for sellers and buyers respectively.  Historically, […]

The DIFC's Gate building. The centre's law came into force on March 8

DIFC’s law tipped to help digital assets go mainstream

The Dubai International Financial Centre has introduced a law to define and regulate digital assets – a move that should herald their integration into more parts of the economy, lawyers have told AGBI.   The DIFC legislation came into effect on March 8 and classifies the assets as property. Digitally tracked items such as cryptocurrencies, non-fungible […]

Heading to the same store or somewhere new? UAE consumers believe companies should offer tangible rewards for their loyalty

The perks and pitfalls of the UAE’s retail loyalty sector

When customers consistently fly with Emirates or buy their daily coffee at Tim Hortons, the chances are high that they are members of a loyalty programme – and companies deploy them to ensure they return to the brand. But UAE consumers are increasingly discerning about the brands and products with which they interact.  “The direct […]

Iran suffers frequent power outages and this, combined with high energy costs, presents hurdles to bitcoin miners

Energy costs push bitcoin mining in Iran underground  

Rising energy costs and onerous government regulations are forcing much of Iran’s once-blossoming bitcoin mining sector to operate clandestinely, a top industry executive has told AGBI. Bitcoin’s price surged to $46,900 in early January ahead of the launch of bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the US, up from a two-year low of about $15,800 in […]