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UAE MANTRA tokenization platform launches Google supported accelerator

UAE MANTRA tokenization platform launches Google supported accelerator

UAE based MANTRA, a layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) has launched RWAccelerator – a start-up accelerator program designed to empower builders and startups with investment capital, mentors, dedicated AI support supported by Google Cloud.

The RWAccelerator program will focus on projects with a strong interest in the tokenization of real-world assets, across real estate, financial products and alternative assets.

The World Economic Forum projecting that by 2027, 10% of the world’s GDP – approximately $10 trillion – will be stored on blockchain networks, with Real World Assets (RWAs) playing a significant role in the transformation.

Applicants to the RWAccelerator will have the choice of three themed tracks; infrastructure, tokenization and DeFi. Selected projects will receive support from the Google for Startups Cloud program that provides access to Google Cloud resources including cloud credits, technical support and workshops led by Google engineers.

“This is a powerful opportunity for startups to harness cutting-edge technology and gain access to resources and mentorship,” said John Patrick Mullin, CEO of MANTRA. “With support from Google Cloud, this RWAccelerator will allow startups to reach new heights and significantly contribute to the wider Web3 community.”

Richard Widdman said, “We’re excited to collaborate with MANTRA to support the next wave of innovative Web3 startups focused on tokenizing real-world assets. By providing access to Google Cloud’s infrastructure and expertise, we aim to create an environment where these startups can truly thrive, experiment, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in the Web3 space.”

Applications for the first intake to the RWAccelerator will be accepted starting today through March 20, 2025.

The announcement comes as Mantra Finance secures Dubai VARA VASP license for DeFi.

UAE regulated GCEX crypto exchange launches new crypto tool

UAE regulated GCEX crypto exchange launches new crypto tool

GC Exchange FZE (GCEX), part of the GCEX Group, a UAE regulated crypto exchange offering trading technology has launched XplorAllocate, a multi-asset crypto tool designed to help fund managers and professional traders allocate trades more efficiently, accurately, and transparently across crypto spot, crypto derivatives, forex CFDs, and traditional financial products.

GCEX’s XplorAllocate addresses this by streamlining trade execution and allocation, resulting in improved accuracy and enhanced compliance. Instead of managing individual client accounts separately, fund managers and professional traders can now execute a single block trade, which is then automatically allocated across their clients based on their proportional share of the total investment pool – reducing the time spent on this task without having to use a PAMM, MAM, or similar tools.

Mehtap Önder, Managing Director, GCEX MENA commented, “Traders need tools that make their lives easier, not more complicated. With GCEX’s XplorAllocate, we’re providing a seamless, automated solution that takes care of the heavy lifting, removing the complexity of manually executing trades for each client, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring that every allocation adheres to regulatory and investment policy requirements. Whether you’re trading crypto derivatives or traditional financial products, this tool simplifies the allocation process so you can focus on what really matters – executing your strategy.”

With real-time visibility, traders using GCEX’s XplorAllocate gain full transparency and a clear audit trail. The tool’s customisable allocation logic provides flexibility and ensures that trades are distributed accurately based on portfolio needs. It allows users to allocate by percentage or share size and combine multiple orders into custom average prices.

XplorAllocate is part of GCEX’s broader strategy to enhance its institutional-grade XplorDigital solutions for institutional and professional clients. XplorDigital features innovative plug-and-play solutions, ‘Crypto in a Box’ and ‘Broker in a Box’.

Blockchain tokenization entity CryptoAutos acquires $20 million worth of luxury vehicles in Dubai

Blockchain tokenization entity CryptoAutos acquires $20 million worth of luxury vehicles in Dubai

CryptoAutos,a Real-World Asset (RWA) entity in the Blockchain tokenization space, has acquired a rental fleet of luxury vehicles worth $20 million in Dubai UAE. As per the announcement CryptoAutos is seeking to bridge digital assets with physical assets and aimed at redefining vehicle ownership and investment through blockchain technology.

“Acquiring real-world assets and making them accessible through tokenization is at the core of what we do,” said Waqas Nizam, Founder of Crypto Autos. “This $20M fleet acquisition is another step towards enabling individuals to leverage their digital assets in meaningful, practical ways. Let’s put it into perspective – we’ve spent $20M on this fleet, this is significantly more than the majority of RWA projects have managed to raise.”

Backed by multiple funding rounds of $60,000,000 and $7,500,000 CryptoAutos will create investment opportunities in its fleet, allowing users to potentially earn yield in USDT from both the rental and sales of its luxury vehicles. Investors will benefit from an estimated annual rental yield of $15,000,000, making this a lucrative real-world asset-backed investment.

Through CryptoAutos’ platform, users can invest in fractional ownership of high-value vehicles, receive potential rental-based earnings.
Gain exposure to the appreciation and resale value of exotic cars, and by combining the efficiency of blockchain with real-world revenue streams, CryptoAutos ensures that digital asset holders can participate in a stable, high-yield investment model.

CryptoAutos’ decision to establish a stronghold in Dubai aligns with the region’s growing adoption of crypto-backed investments and digital finance.

“With its progressive stance on blockchain and finance, Dubai is the perfect location for our first acquisition,” added Waqas. “The city provides the ideal ecosystem for RWAs to flourish, and we are excited to drive this movement forward.”

As the company continues its expansion, CryptoAutos is set to introduce additional asset-backed opportunities, further bridging the gap between Web3 and traditional industries. The latest acquisition is just the beginning of a broader strategy to integrate RWAs into everyday transactions, making digital asset usability more practical than ever before.

It is noteworthy that CryptoAutos, while having acquired $20 million worth of vehicles in Dubai UAE, has yet to be regulated in the country.

UAE M2 crypto exchange partners with Transak for fiat on ramping

UAE M2 crypto exchange partners with Transak for fiat on ramping

Transak, a payments infrastructure provider for digital assets like cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and NFTs, has integrated its solution with M2, UAE regulated crypto exchange. The integrations is the first and only fiat on-ramp provider for a crypto exchange in UAE.

This streamlined integration seeks to lower barriers to market participation, while ensuring strict levels of security and compliance. Through Transak, verified M2 users will be able to conveniently make fiat-to-crypto purchases for 30+ of tokens and cryptocurrencies using their credit and debit cards, M2’S OTC service will continue to be available.

On the platform integration, Sudhu Arumugam, M2’s Chief Product Officer, said, “M2’s partnership with Transak will allow retail investors and first-time crypto entrants access to a variety of cryptocurrencies – they can then put these to work in any of our 20+ Earn products with market leading yields, or explore various trading opportunities via our spot market or futures contracts.”

“By working with Transak on our on-ramp integration, we know M2 users will have access not just to a secure pathway, but a great experience powered by a trusted entity that delivers purchases in real time, and with accurate pricing.”

Carlo de Luca Gabrielli, Global Director of Sales at Transak, commented, “Our collaboration with M2 is about more than just infrastructure – it’s about creating frictionless access to digital assets in one of the fastest-growing markets. As the Middle East embraces clear regulations and the rest of the world follows suit, this partnership empowers users with seamless crypto purchases backed by compliance and security. Together with M2, we are raising the standard for how virtual asset investments should be made – easy, safe, and accessible to all.”

Transak’s fiat-to-crypto on-ramp integration is now live.

Laser Digital launched Digital NEAR Adoption Fund excluding UAE

Laser Digital launched Digital NEAR Adoption Fund excluding UAE

Laser Digital Nomura’s digital assets subsidiary with a regulated presence in UAE , has launched the Laser Digital NEAR Adoption Fund (the ‘Fund’). However investors in the UAE cannot participate in the fund. The announcement notes, that information contained herein, does not constitute, and is not intended to constitute, a public offer of securities in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) and accordingly should not be construed as such.

The shares are only being offered to a limited number of exempt investors in the UAE who (a) are willing and able to conduct an independent investigation of the risks involved in an investment in such shares, and (b) upon their specific request. The shares have not been approved by or licensed or registered with the UAE Central Bank, the Securities and Commodities Authority, or any other relevant licensing authorities or governmental agencies in the UAE. No transaction will be concluded in the UAE and any enquiries regarding the Shares should be made to Laser Digital UK Ltd at 1 Angel Lane, London, EC4R 3AB. 

As per the announcement the Fund’s strategy seeks to provide a long-term exposure to the NEAR token enhanced with staking which allows institutional investors residing in eligible jurisdictions (“Investors”) to participate in the blockchain consensus mechanism and take advantage of the economic opportunities of the NEAR blockchain.

Consequently, the Fund aims to harvest gains from a long-term trend combined with carry component in the Digital Assets asset class. The Fund utilizes TruFin’s institutional-grade liquid staking solution, TruStake, to provide Investors with seamless exposure to the NEAR token, as well as the network’s underlying staking rewards.


The entire internet will experience a paradigm shift towards AI-first interfaces and businesses, and Laser Digital believes that NEAR has positioned itself to be at the forefront of this AI-first future as the blockchain for AI. This is enabled by NEAR’s core technologies bridging AI and web3 – bringing agents, users, and services together in one single protocol:

  • User-Owned AI: Building towards AI that users can trust with their data & assets and ultimately AI that makes choices to benefit individual users rather than some centralized profit-maximizing entity
  • Chain Abstraction: A technology that connects all assets, across all chains, between AI agents and users while empowering AI agents to transact, and thereby solves for the interoperability problem
  • Intents: A new type of transaction that allows information, assets, goods and services exchange between AI agents, users, and real world services, making it possible to unify liquidity across crypto ecosystems and also bring AI participants together with financial services, commerce, and end users
    Sharded Blockchain: NEAR Protocol as a sharded, proof-of-stake blockchain with fast transaction throughput and already tens of millions of active users, offering scalable infrastructure for AI agents and users to transact effectively at any scale

These features make NEAR a valuable Layer-1 digital asset for the next wave of AI-driven Web3.0 applications. From this perspective NEAR aims to benefit from two long-term major trends: blockchain and AI, and the Fund aims to provide Investors exposure to both.

The Fund will be available in traditional format, after registration, in selected jurisdictions (with the exclusion of the US) to eligible institutional and professional investors. The Fund will also be available through various wealth management platforms.

The Fund is a segregated portfolio part of Laser Digital Funds SPC, a Segregated Portfolio Company registered as a mutual fund pursuant to section 4(3) of the Mutual Funds Act with CIMA (Cayman Islands Regulatory Authority).

Laser Digital is led by CEO Jez Mohideen who has over 25 years of experience in systematic investment strategies and macro trading at both Brevan Howard and Nomura. On launching the fund, Mohideen commented: “The Fund gives Investors a seamless way to gain exposure to digital assets through a long orientated exposure to the NEAR protocol that combines two major investment themes of digital assets and AI, alongside a carry overlay via the staking.”

David Norris, CFO at NEAR Foundation: “We are excited to launch the Laser Digital NEAR Adoption Fund to give institutional investors exposure to NEAR‘s rapidly growing AI ecosystem, enhanced with staking returns. We are convinced that Laser Digital with its strong expertise and distribution capabilities is the right partner to provide investors with seamless and compliant access to NEAR.”

UAE based MANSA raises $10 million led by Tether

UAE based MANSA raises $10 million led by Tether

UAE based MANSA, a fintech innovator in cross-border payments, has raised $10 million in its recent funding round led by Tether, the creator of USDT stablecoin. MANSA aims to alleviate liquidity challenges for payment companies worldwide.

The company’s stablecoin-based solution offers payment providers in emerging and mature markets a flexible and reliable way to manage liquidity challenges in cross-border payments.

MANSA raised $3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Tether and co-led by Polymorphic Capital with participation from other prominent investors, including Octerra Capital, Faculty Group, and Trive Digital. The fintech company has secured an additional $7 million in liquidity funding from institutions, including corporate investors, quantitative funds, and alternative investment firms.

As per the press release the funds will support the company’s further market expansion into Latin America and Southeast Asia, alongside the rollout of bespoke liquidity and ancillary solutions tailored to address complex cross-border payments needs.

“Securing $10 million in pre-seed and liquidity funding marks a significant milestone in our mission to transform the way money moves. By bringing payments on-chain and leveraging efficient liquidity solutions, we are addressing critical challenges in cross-border transactions—making payments faster, cheaper, and more reliable worldwide” said Mouloukou Sanoh, CEO and Co-Founder of MANSA. “This funding accelerates our global expansion, enabling us to empower payment companies with seamless, real-time settlement infrastructure and drive the future of payments”

Since its launch in August 2024, MANSA has gained traction by building partnerships with major payment companies across Africa, Asia, and South America. These strategic alliances have contributed to the proliferation of its instant liquidity solutions, resulting in $27 million in transaction volume to date, with nearly $11 million in on-chain transaction volume in January – reflecting a 574% growth from August 2024. MANSA leverages stablecoins, thereby reducing settlement delays and transaction costs, and giving payment providers the resources to scale their operations efficiently.

“MANSA’s vision for addressing liquidity challenges in cross-border payments aligns with our mission to create a more efficient and inclusive financial system. By leveraging USDT for real-time settlements and instant payouts, MANSA is solving critical pain points for payment companies operating in emerging markets. We are proud to collaborate with MANSA and support their efforts to reshape global payment infrastructure.” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether.

The newly secured funds will be instrumental in its strategic expansion into Latin America and Southeast Asia – regions where liquidity challenges hinder cross-border transactions. It intends to expand its reach and influence by enabling faster, more affordable payment solutions through scaling its liquidity infrastructure and developing strategic partnerships.

“Mansa is here to disrupt a massive traditional market with blockchain and the Web3 paradigm. Polymorphic supports extraordinary founders. The Mansa team is up to this incredible challenge. stated Vitaly Spassky, Managing Partner, Polymorphic Capital

“We invested in MANSA because of their bold, diverse, high-caliber team of visionary founders addressing critical challenges faced by payments companies in Emerging Markets. We firmly believe that decentralized finance and asset tokenization are game-changing frontier technologies. With immense market potential in emerging economies, MANSA is uniquely positioned to drive transformative impact and bridge the credit gap across Africa.” added, Ashim Egunjobi, Managing Partner, Octerra Capital

UAE Haifin offers blockchain trade finance solution in Bahrain with BENEFIT

UAE Haifin offers blockchain trade finance solution in Bahrain with BENEFIT

Bahrain based BENEFIT, aFintech and electronic financial transactions service, has partnered with haifin, an e& enterprise company (part of e&) formerly known as UAE Trade Connect offering Blockchain enabled trade financing platform,to revolutionize Bahrain’s banking sector by fostering innovation, and enhancing financial resilience across the industry.

With a proven track record in de-risking trade finance lending, haifin—live in UAE since 2021—has leveraged cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain and advanced analytics to prevent fraud in real-time, saving over $150 million for its consortium members.

As per the press release, the partnership is set to enhance the ability of Bahrain’s banking industry to mitigate risks and prevent fraud, particularly in trade finance. By improving risk management, the collaboration is expected to boost banks’ lending confidence, increase revenues, and improve access to liquidity for SMEs and corporate borrowers.

Abdulwahed AlJanahi, Chief Executive of BENEFIT, commented that this partnership marks a significant step in strengthening Bahrain’s financial ecosystem through advanced technology. He added, “By equipping banks with cutting-edge tools to proactively combat fraud and streamline trade finance, we are empowering the sector to operate with unparalleled efficiency and confidence. By uniting our expertise, we are reinforcing trust, security, and innovation at the heart of the industry’s future, setting the stage for a more resilient and digitally advanced banking landscape in Bahrain.”

Zul Javaid, Chief Executive of haifin, highlighted the importance of this partnership added, “After our success in the UAE and our ambition to address similar challenges across the MEA region this collaboration with BENEFIT marks a major milestone. Together, we aim to deliver advanced technology solutions that enhance risk management which ultimately drives growth for banks.”

The members of Haifin platform include UAE Banks Federation, Al Masraf, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Commercial Bank International, Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dubai Islamic Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Habib Bank AG Zurich, Invest Bank, Mashreq Corporate & Investment Banking Group, National Bank of Fujairah, RAKBANK, Sharjah Islamic Bank, United Arab Bank, Beehive Fintech, CredibleX, DP World, and Finneva.

Prior to the recent agreement with Bahrain’s BENEFIT, Zul Javaid expressed his interest in expanding Haifan offering to countries across the GCC and MENA regions, including KSA hiring Wissam Massud to lead their international expansion in 2023.

Allo XYZ tokenization platform accepted into Qatar Digital Assets Lab

Allo XYZ tokenization platform accepted into Qatar Digital Assets Lab

UAE based Allo.xyz, a blockchain platform for AI Agent Funds and Real World Assets with $2 billion+ in tokenized assets, which received a $100M credit facility backed by Bitcoin has been accepted into Qatar’s Digital Assets Lab, bolstering its presence in the crypto lending sector.

Allo xyz has participated in Binance Labs and BNB Chain’s MVB Accelerator program and tokenized $2.2B in assets on BNB Chain. The company seeks to tokenize $1 trillion assets by 2030.

RWA tokenization is the process of converting rights to a real-world asset into a digital token on a blockchain. These assets can include real estate, art, commodities, or even intellectual property. By tokenizing these assets, we bridge the physical world and the digital realm, enabling fractional ownership, increased liquidity, and more efficient trading.

In 2025, the concept of tokenization has seen remarkable growth, the growth trajectory suggests that the RWA tokenization market could potentially reach a staggering $30.1 trillion by 2034.

“We’re projecting a very strong Q4 this year. Stablecoins are about $200 billion. In TVL, we have treasuries at about a few billion dollars. Private credit at about $10 billion. Treasuries, stablecoins, and private credit are early movers in the space, and we’ll see a continuation of that,” said Kingsley Advani, Founder and CEO of Allo XYZ told BeInCrypto in a recent article.

So far the Qatar Digital Assets Labs has accepted, Accelerated Sustainable Materials Discovery, Alt DRX a Digital Real Estate Exchange, ArcaX, Asset Share, Audteye, Blade Labs, BlockStead, FinRock, DMZ, evergon, FalconNest Labs, iTOO technologies, mintus, oori, partier, Polygon, Proptech, Scie NFT, SettleMint, SeedraChain, Skarguard Taurus, xALTs, Verity, SurferMonkey, Ryzer Doha Digits, Hacken, Root VX, DAVID and Stobox.

Mantra Finance secures first DeFi license in UAE

Mantra Finance secures first DeFi license in UAE

Mantra Finance a decentralized Finance platform operated by MANTRA Group, has secured the first DeFi license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulator Authority (VARA).

Mantra Finance with the license will be able to operate as a Virtual Asset Exchange, as well as offer crypto broker dealer and management investment services.

As per the press release, this is significant milestone in MANTRA’s commitment to regulatory compliance, security, and innovation within the rapidly growing virtual assets ecosystem. The VARA license will support not just MANTRA’s global footprint as it introduces a range of innovative, regulatory-compliant financial products tailored to the evolving needs of investors around the world, but position it to further scale operations in the Middle East focused on the tokenization of real world assets (RWAs).

“By establishing the most timely, comprehensive and built from-the-ground-up framework for virtual assets and Web3, Dubai and VARA have become world leaders in crypto regulation. This license was a crucial step for MANTRA and a key step in our journey towards global expansion,” said John Patrick Mullin, CEO of MANTRA.

“The UAE and broader MENA region has fast become a progressive global hub and thriving ecosystem for Web3 and virtual assets owing to their regulatory initiatives and frameworks. This license not only strengthens our presence regionally, it positions us internationally to deliver unique DeFi products that bridge the gap between decentralized finance and traditional finance. Our goal is to build a future-focused financial ecosystem that benefits institutional and qualified investors globally.”

“By obtaining this license, MANTRA joins a growing community of regulated entities operating within the UAE, and we are excited to work alongside industry leaders to shape the future of virtual assets,” added Mullin. “Our regulatory compliance is fundamental to the trust we build with users, and it reflects our long-term vision of driving responsible growth in the digital asset space.”

As the platform continues to innovate, MANTRA will launch a variety of unique DeFi products designed to meet the dynamic needs of investors. Each product is developed with strict adherence to local regulations and international policy frameworks, ensuring that users benefit from both security and cutting-edge financial tools.

Mantra raised $11 million from Shorooq Partners in UAE

MANTRA Chain a Layer 1 blockchain for real world tokenization, raised $11 million led by UAE based Shorooq Partners with investors including Three-point capital, Forte Securities, VirtuZone, Hex Trust and GameFi Ventures. The news which was published in Coindesk stated, that Mantra Chain was in the final stages of receiving licenses from Dubai’s crypto regulator, VARA.

Mantra is already posed for success with its recent agreement with DAMAC Group to tokenize $1 billion worth of assets. In addition it has also signed an agreement to tokenize assets worth half a billion dollars with MAG Group.

UAE Fuze digital assets solutions in Turkey with Aktif ventures

UAE Fuze digital assets solutions in Turkey with Aktif ventures

UAE Fuze, a digital assets infrastructure provider has partnered with Turkish based Aktif Ventures, that invests, advices and offers Fintech technologies. Aktif Ventures will utilize the digital asset solutions offered by Fuze to its product portfolio.

With this partnership, Aktif Ventures will be able to provide OTC solutions to CMB intermediaries and banks in the field of large-scale corporate acquisitions and asset management, while also offering KYC and custody processes that comply with the legislation in cooperation with the institutions it is integrated with.

Yasemin Evsahibioğlu, General Manager of Aktif Ventures, said, “As Aktif Ventures, we continue to develop our fintech ecosystem with our leading API marketplace Apilion. I can say that we have developed our new term strategy by focusing on the financial technologies of the future and have achieved an important milestone in our sector with our partnership with Fuze Finance. I believe that with this partnership, we will take on a pioneering role in the crypto field, which is one of the new actors in the fintech world, and make a difference with our products.”

Fuze Finance CEO Mo Ali Yusuf added, “Fuze, has become one of the strongest financial institutions in the region, and it will continue its success in the Turkish market. With our unique DaaS (Digital Asset as a Service) infrastructure, high-volume crypto trading services, OTC services and advanced custody solutions that we offer to financial institutions, we aim to meet the most critical needs of the market with the most reliable and innovative infrastructures.”

The collaboration will leverage Fuze’s suite of offerings, making crypto trading, liquidity management, OTC solutions, wallet/custody services, and real-time portfolio management more accessible than ever.

Banks and intermediaries can now access a secure, fully compliant infrastructure for large-scale institutional transactions, all while seamlessly integrating KYC and custody processes. No hassle, no complexity – just fast, secure, and scalable solutions for the digital age.

Earlier in the year UAE regulated CoinMENA and Fuze were the first crypto exchanges in MENA to be onboarded onto Mastercard Crypto Credential platform that allows crypto exchange users to send and receive cryptocurrencies using simple aliases instead of complex blockchain addresses.