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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 […]

Investors are expected to welcome bitcoin ETFs into their portfolios but some observers warn the cryptocurrency itself is still volatile

Gulf investors expected to bet big on bitcoin ETFs

Gulf sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors are expected to expand their portfolios to include cryptocurrencies, after spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds were given the green light. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the trading of 11 spot bitcoin ETFs, issued by global asset management companies such as BlackRock, Invesco, Grayscale, Fidelity, and Franklin. […]

Technology tech trends man laptop ChatGPT ChatGPT took the world by storm in 2023 and research firm Gartner predicts that more than 80 percent of enterprises will integrate generative AI into their applications by 2026

Gulf tech trends to watch in 2024

Technological breakthroughs in 2023 have transformed society and the world economy, but we must always look ahead. These are the cutting-edge discoveries and technologies that will define 2024. Quantum computing Quantum computing – using the principles of quantum mechanics to tackle problems too complex for traditional computers – is set to revolutionise industries.  Global tech […]

The UAE alone generates over 6.5 million tonnes of waste a year, more than three quarters of which ends up in landfills

Turning trash into tokens: blockchain’s answer to waste

Trash, garbage, detritus. Whatever you call it, the waste management industry around the world faces a huge challenge as it must handle a substantial and growing volume of rubbish. In 2020, according to the World Bank, the world generated 2.24 billion tonnes of solid waste, amounting to a footprint of 0.79 kg per person per […]

The UAE is proving attractive to blockchain companies

Tax-friendly UAE beckons blockchain businesses 

The UAE is becoming a preferred destination for blockchain technology companies, ranking third globally as a crypto centre, according to a survey. Immigration consultancy Henley & Partners used six criteria to arrive at a global ranking and placed Singapore first because of its government’s close cooperation with banks, businesses and the public in developing its […]