Lara

Total Post: 1270

UAE DAMAC EDGNEX Data Center company acquires Finnish Hyperco

UAE DAMAC EDGNEX Data Center company acquires Finnish Hyperco

UAE DAMAC Group subsidiary EDGNEX Data Centers has acquired Finland data center company Hyperco expanding its reach in Europe after the UAE DAMAC Properties CEO, Hussain Sajwani, in January 2025 announced investment of $20 billion in US datacenters used for AI ( Artificial Intelligence) and crypto.

While no details were shared on the Hyperco deal. The Finnish company leverages sustainable energy resources with high connectivity for digital ecosystems.

“We plan to build a significant future capacity in the Nordics and establish a strong foothold in the market,” said Hussain Sajwani, Founder of DAMAC Group. 

Aleksi Taipale, Co-founder and CEO, Hyperco, said the company is well-positioned to meet the growing digital demands of the region and beyond, given its access to low-carbon energy and focus on scalability.

EDGNEX is on track to deliver 55 MW in the Middle East by 2025, with a projected global capacity exceeding 3,000 MW. The company is targeting over 300 MW of operational capacity by 2026, supported by a robust investment pipeline of over $3 billion, including key Southeast Asian markets.

Its European activities include a €150 million joint venture in Greece with Public Power Corporation to develop up to 25 MW and a €400 million commitment to build a 40 MW data centre in Madrid, Spain.

Investment in datacenters globally and in the Middle East is growing. It is estimated that global spending on construction of new data centers is expected to surpass US$49 billion by 2030 (source: MicKinsey & Company). With over US$1.0 trillion funding gap in renewable energy, it is believed to be an opportune time to lay the groundwork to power the advancement of compute infrastructure for a vibrant digital economy.

ADQ, an active sovereign investor with a focus on critical infrastructure and global supply chains, and Energy Capital Partners (ECP), the largest private owner of power generation and renewables in the USA, have entered into an agreement to establish a 50-50 partnership in new build power generation and energy infrastructure.

  • AI
  • 0
  • Closed
  • 4 min read

Targeting UAE AI strategy Abu Dhabi TAQA and EWEC implement new energy infrastructure

Targeting UAE AI strategy Abu Dhabi TAQA and EWEC implement new energy infrastructure

Targeting UAE AI and Net Zero Strategies, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) together with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), today announced the development and implementation of new energy infrastructure projects. The transformative collaboration includes TAQA signing a 24-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with EWEC to build, own, and operate the 1-gigawatt (GW) Al Dhafra Open-Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) project in the UAE.

With 100 percent ownership, TAQA is leading the OCGT project and will undertake the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plant. In addition, TAQA Transmission, part of TAQA Group, will develop advanced power grid infrastructure to integrate the additional generation capacity to new sources of energy demand, enabling access to reliable power with a low carbon footprint.

The projects will support the recently announced EWEC and Masdar world-first project that will enable renewable energy to be dispatched 24 hours a day seven days a week, reaffirming the UAE’s position as a global pioneer in renewable energy deployment and low-carbon infrastructure. Delivering up to 1GW of baseload power every day generated from renewable energy, it will be the largest combined solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) in the world.

The collaboration between EWEC, TAQA, and Masdar, will drive investment of around AED36 billion in energy supply infrastructure in Abu Dhabi with around 75 percent of that to be invested in renewable and conventional power generation. The remaining 25 percent will be invested in grid infrastructure, which will be added to the regulated asset base and will receive the regulated return.

Jasim Thabet, Group CEO and Managing Director of TAQA and Vice Chairman of Masdar, said, “Providing reliable low-carbon power plays an important role in enabling the global energy transition. Through our expertise in power generation and transmission, and as the largest shareholder in Masdar, TAQA plays a central role in advancing clean energy solutions in the UAE, and we remain committed to ensuring reliable, low-carbon power at all times. As a champion of low-carbon power and water, we are proud to be a part of these world-class projects alongside our partner EWEC.”

Ahmed Ali Alshamsi, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC, said, “EWEC is pleased to partner with TAQA on transformative initiatives that will not only power the UAE’s AI ambitions but also accelerate the nation’s energy transition. By creating a future-ready energy framework that integrates next-generation renewable energy technologies and advanced transmission solutions, this collaboration is setting a new global benchmark for sustainable energy systems that balances sustainability with operational excellence. As the UAE transitions into an AI-powered future, we are creating the foundation for a future where advanced technologies can flourish, while meeting the country’s forward-thinking environmental and economic goals.”

ADQ and Energy Capital Markets invest $25.6 billion in energy projects in USA

This comes weeks after Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund ADQ joined forces with U.S. private equity firm Energy Capital Partners (ECP) to invest over $25 B in energy projects aimed at powering data centers, primarily in the United States. The investment, structured as a 50-50 partnership, will support the development of 25 GW of new power generation and energy infrastructure. The collaboration is designed to meet the rising energy demands of data centers, hyperscale cloud providers, and other high-consumption industries.

Serenity and MTA to launch blockchain real estate investment portal in UAE

Serenity and MTA to launch blockchain real estate investment portal in UAE

Serenity, a blockchain technology company specializing in secure digital finance solutions, has partnered with MTA Real Estate to develop a secure, blockchain-powered real estate investment portal targeting allowing for crypto to property purchases.

As per the press release, the initiative arrives amid growing momentum for real estate tokenization in the UAE. With growing institutional interest and clear regulatory support for blockchain-based asset infrastructure, the Dubai Land Department expects the market value for tokenized real estate to exceed $16 billion by 2033.

The portal, to be rolled out in phases, will allow qualified crypto users to explore select Dubai real estate listings, complete biometric-based KYC, and execute regulated crypto-to-property purchases through smart contracts. Also crypto buyers who purchase properties using this portal will be eligible for exclusive discounts, which brings in a valid commercial value proposition.

Serenity and MTA’s expertise will bring to market a full-technology stack serving as a blockchain window into property sourcing, transaction facilitation, and compliance with local real-estate regulations. 

“This partnership allows us to extend blockchain’s utility into tangible ‘real-world services’,” said Robert Boris Mofrad, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Serenity. “Dubai is already setting the pace on real estate tokenization – our goal is to operationalize that vision with compliant infrastructure that bridges Web3 and real-world ownership.”

Venket Naga, CEO of Serenity commented, “This agreement brings our ‘real-world services’ vision closer to reality,” said Venket Naga, Co-Founder and CEO of Serenity. “It’s about turning blockchain infrastructure into sustained, revenue-generating use cases – not just for Serenity, but for the entire Web3 ecosystem engaging with real-world assets.”

The platform’s KYC layer, built on Serenity’s decentralized identity protocol, will be integrated with the company’s sAxess biometric card, the world’s first fingerprint-authenticated blockchain multi function cold wallet card. Payments will be conducted through licensed intermediaries or accepted directly by developers that support crypto transactions. Off-plan purchases will be protected under the Dubai Land Department’s escrow framework, ensuring milestone-based fund releases and buyer safeguards.

At MTA Real Estate, we specialize in unlocking high-growth opportunities in Dubai’s real estate market – one of the most secure and lucrative in the world,” said Mohamed Taher Ali, Founder & CEO of MTA Real Estate. “This collaboration empowers crypto investors to diversify their portfolios with stable, income-generating assets backed by full regulatory transparency. Our goal is simple: bridge the gap between digital wealth and real-world property ownership through innovation, speed, and trust.

Serenity’s roadmap for the portal includes smart contracts for automated rent distribution, on-chain storage of ownership records with survivability and inheritance mechanisms, and future integration of DeFi-based mortgage tools. 

UAE Antier Blockchain to tokenize real estate sector in UAE

UAE Antier Blockchain to tokenize real estate sector in UAE

Antier, a Blockchain Development Company, has announced the expansion of its Real Estate Tokenization Platform Development services to the UAE region to accelerate the adoption of tokenization. Antier is already engaged with partners and clients in the UAE to develop tokenized marketplaces aligned with Dubai’s long-term digital asset strategy.

Antier has carried out over 100 successful RWA tokenization platform implementation in more than 20 countries and as the tokenized asset market is expected to hit $16 trillion by 2030 (Boston Consulting Group).

“We’re building the infrastructure to revolutionize property ownership, not just by changing perceptions but by creating real empowerment, accessibility, and diverse investment opportunities,” said Vikram R Singh, CEO and Founder of Antier.

With real estate tokenization projected to grow significantly, market insights suggest that tokenized real estate could make up 7% of total property transactions in Dubai alone, reaching an estimated $16 billion by 2033. Antier sees this as a pivotal moment to bridge the gap between traditional real estate markets and the future of digital assets.

As per the press release, the tokenization initiative will benefit a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including, real estate development firms
Property brokers and investment companies, fintech organizations, individual and institutional investors, tech-driven real estate platforms and comprehensive Tokenization Solutions: A Stack of Innovation

Antier offers end-to-end tokenization platform services designed to address the specific challenges and opportunities within the real estate market, including, fractional Ownership Platforms: For investors to buy and trade fractional shares of real estate assets and fractionalize access to high-value properties.

The tokenization platform also offers Blockchain-powered title management to unlock transparent and secure property deed registration through the blockchain, liquidity enhancement which creates accessible investment opportunities for a wider range of investors and makes real estate trading more fluid and seamless and regulatory compliance that navigates stringent regulatory requirements to ensure full compliance with financial standards.

The firm has successfully implemented tokenization platforms for clients in Switzerland, UAE, UK, Singapore, and the U.S., including enterprise-grade solutions for institutional asset managers, real estate developers, and government agencies.

“We view security as the core of everything we do. It’s not an add-on; it’s our promise. Our platform integrates multi-layered protection mechanisms, including encryption, multi-signature authentication, and rigorous regulatory checks to ensure every transaction is secure, transparent, and compliant,” added Vikram R Singh.

Antier will be competing with multiple tokenization players including Mantra Blockchain which recently signed a $1 billion deal with DAMAC, as well as Stobox which was recently licensed in Qatar.

Serenity launches its Blockchain biometric card in UAE

Serenity launches its Blockchain biometric card in UAE

Serenity, a blockchain technology company specializing in Decentralized Data Survivability Protocol (DeDaSP), launched the sAxess Biometric Card. Developed in partnership with IDEMIA, this world-first biometric-secured blockchain card revolutionizes secure data storage, digital identity authentication, and real-world asset monetization in Dubai UAE.

The sAxess Biometric Card is powered by Serenity’s patent-pending DeDaSP technology, designed to redefine secure digital asset storage and real-world usability. It offers a range of features, including biometric wallet authentication, providing secure access using advanced biometrics; an ultra-secure digital repository, with encrypted storage and recovery of wallet seed phrases without requiring traditional crypto wallets; and non-crypto user accessibility, providing a business-friendly solution for secure data storage without blockchain expertise.

The innovation delivers seamless real-world applications, including identity verification, file validation, secure payments, and credential updates, and is fast and intuitive to implement, with an ergonomic interface and a setup process under three minutes.

The launch event in Dubai UAE was attended by Mr. Robert Boris Mofrad, Co-founder & CPO of Serenity, and Mr. Venket Naga, CEO & Co-Founder of Serenity, who emphasized the revolutionary impact of sAxess on digital security and decentralized finance. The event featured keynote speeches by Mr. Ali Akbar, Head of Pre-Sales, Digital & Advanced Payments at IDEMIA, and Dr. Maria Papadaki, Chief of Strategy & Risk at Dubai Blockchain Center, who highlighted the significance of biometric technology in blockchain and the future of secure digital transactions.

Serenity’s Co-Founder & CPO, Mr. Robert Boris Mofrad stated, “sAxess is more than a product, it’s a revolution in digital asset security. By combining biometrics with blockchain, we’ve created a solution that enhances both accessibility and protection for users worldwide. This launch highlights Serenity’s leadership in blockchain innovation and fintech security, setting the foundation for a future where biometric-secured blockchain solutions become the global standard.”

Serenity (www.s.technology) is a blockchain-focused company integrating DeDaSP (Decentralized Data Survivability Protocol), DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks), and RWA (Real-World Assets) into RWS (Real-World Services). Their goal is to monetize and add value to assets through decentralized and secure data management. Serenity is working on innovative solutions in sectors like real estate, AI data centers, finance, and digital identity, leveraging technologies such as biometric authentication (via partners like Idemia) and secure tokenization for asset management and data survivability.

Serenity recently collaborated with Oman based Gulfdox, a provider of physical storage, data digitization, and storage software solutions, where Gulfdox will integrate Serenity’s cutting-edge blockchain technology into its service portfolio, offering clients a robust, secure, and future-ready digital storage solution.

WEEX Crypto exchange launches headquarters in UAE

WEEX Crypto exchange launches headquarters in UAE

WEEX crypto exchange, which has over 5 million customers, has set up its headquarters in Dubai UAE with 600 employees already working there and plans to add 50 more over the next two years. The unregulated exchange has chosen the UAE as it expands into the MENA region.

As per the press release, the WEEX crypto exchange will not be serving UAE customers until it receives its VARA ( Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority) license.

Andrew Weiner, Vice President of WEEX, noted that setting up headquarters in the UAE is part of WEEX’s rapid expansion into the MENA region. He states,“ We plan to expand our team further in Dubai over the next one to two years, adding 30 to 50 new hires to better support local operations and service deployment. Dubai will serve as the central hub for the platform’s global expansion, driving localized operations and team-building efforts to enhance WEEX’s global strength and influence.

WEEX already serves 6.2 million customers across 130+ countries. The crypto exchange has a daily trading volume of over $5 billion and supports more than 1,700 trading pairs. WEEX also boasts of a 1,000 BTC Protection Fund to protect users’ assets.

WEEX is currently participating at and sponsoring TOKEN2049 Dubai event.

UAE has witnessed a growth in the number of crypto exchanges that have chosen the country to house their offices or headquarters. Binance, OKX, Crypto.com among other including CoinMENA and BitOasis all have a strong presence in the country.

Recently the UAE announced not only its stablecoin regulations but also the launch of a Digital Dirham CBDC for the retail sector, while banking entities such as Emirates NBD foray into the crypto scene through subsidiaries like Liv Digital Bank.

Ripple partners with Chipper Cash in Africa for crypto payments

Ripple partners with Chipper Cash in Africa for crypto payments

Ripple, provider of digital asset infrastructure for financial institutions, and payments provider Chipper Cash have partnered to support crypto cross-border payments into Africa using Ripple Payments, for more efficient cross-border payments.

By leveraging Ripple’s crypto-enabled payments solution Chipper Cash, which has five million customers in nine countries across Africa, will enable consumers to receive funds from around the world 24/7/365, reducing the time and friction to make moving value into Africa dramatically more efficient.

“Our partnership with Chipper Cash marks a key milestone in the expansion of Ripple’s business in Africa. Consumers and businesses across the continent are increasingly recognizing the potential of blockchain technology, and we are excited to bring our crypto-enabled payments solution to our partners in the region,” said Reece Merrick, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa, at Ripple. “By integrating our technology into Chipper Cash’s platform, we’re enabling faster, more affordable cross-border payments while driving economic growth and innovation across the markets they serve. With over a decade of experience in tokenizing real-world assets, Ripple’s journey began by bringing fiat currencies on-chain to simplify international money transfers. As the global cross-border payments market grows, more institutions like Chipper Cash are tapping into the transformative power of blockchain technology to drive efficiency and innovation.”

“Crypto-enabled payments have the potential to enable greater financial inclusion, accelerate access to global markets, and empower businesses and individuals across Africa,” said Ham Serunjogi, Co-Founder & CEO at Chipper Cash. “Through integrating with Ripple’s global payments network, we are excited to be able to harness the transformative potential of blockchain technology to enable consumers to receive payments faster and at lower cost.”

Ripple’s partnership with Chipper Cash expands its payments footprint in Africa which started with Onafriq in 2023.

Prior to this Ripple received a license to operate Blockchain payments infrastructure in the UAE.

Kazakhstan to cooperate with UAE on CBDCs and crypto regulations

Kazakhstan to cooperate with UAE on CBDCs and crypto regulations

The visit of the National Bank of Kazakhstan to the UAE will lead to exploration of cross border initiatives, collaboration with ADGM and DIFC on digital assets, and learnings from Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority on developing bespoke regulations for digital assets. This comes as the UAE Central Bank launched its digital dirham CBDC which will be available for retail users at the end of 2025.

These comments were made by Binur Zhalenov, Chief Digital Officer of the National Bank of Kazakhstan in a LinkedIn post as he noted that the delegation’s visit was a productive one.

In an official press release, the National Bank of Kazakhstan noted that on March 26-27, the delegation of the National Bank of Kazakhstan and the Agency of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of Financial Market (ARDFM) made a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During the visit, meetings were held with H.E. Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE; H.E. Waleed Saeed Abdul Salam Al Awadhi, CEO of the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority; H.E. Ghannam Butti Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange; management of the Mubadala sovereign investment fund, administration of the UAE international financial centers, banking and fintech companies.

In the course of the meeting with the Central Bank of the UAE parties exchanged views on macroeconomic conditions, as well as experiences in financial flows management and digital financial assets regulation. Following the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed aimed at exchanging best practices in the development of financial markets and FinTech, ensuring cybersecurity, and promoting CBDCs.

An exchange of experiences on the digital financial assets regulation and the development of blockchain technologies took place with the management of the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority of the UAE.

In cooperation with the AIFC management, a meeting was held with the administrations of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Dubai Financial Centre Authority (DFSA) to discuss approaches to the regulation of the UAE’s international financial centers, as well as the conduct of transactions and mutual settlements within the jurisdictions of these centers.

Following the meeting with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the parties noted the importance of developing infrastructure in the capital markets and increasing the liquidity of trading products in the exchange market.

In addition, meetings were held with the Mubadala investment holding and First Abu Dhabi Bank on the prospects of expanding investment partnership with Kazakhstan, as well as with regional offices of leading international companies BCG and Microsoft on the creation of infrastructure for the proactive development of AI in the financial market of Kazakhstan.

Crypto Regulations in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan currently mandates that all crypto transactions occur through the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC), where regulated platforms such as Binance and Bybit operate. However, many transactions still take place outside this framework. More recently Azat Peruaşev, leader of the minority Aq Jol party and member of the Majilis, the lower house of the Kazakhstan parliament, proposed that the country’s central bank and private banks collaborate to create a “crypto bank” to provide a legal platform for operations with cryptocurrencies. Another MP, Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva, proposed legislative reform of digital asset regulations at the same time.

Peruaşev said 90% of crypto operations in Kazakhstan are currently carried out in a legal gray zone. That enables scams, illicit activities, and tax evasion.

The country through the Kazakhstan’s Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA)also recently shut down 36 illegal crypto exchanges, seizing $4.8M in assets to combat money laundering. Authorities blocked 3,500 unlicensed platforms, returning $545K to victims and freezing $120K in assets. Additionally Kazakhstan plans to launch its Digital Tenge CBDC by 2025 integrating it with global payment platforms.

All this comes as Kazakhstan has put laws into place to encourage cryptocurrency miners to establish operations there. Kazakhstan currently produces around 6.17% of the world’s cryptocurrency mining, placing it among the top four nations in the world along with China, the US, and Russia.

UAE based Wisdomise reaps $3.8 million in revenue

UAE based Wisdomise reaps $3.8 million in revenue

Wisdomise is a Swiss AI company with offices in UAE and Estonia, offering software solutions for wealth management to crypto retail and institutional clients with their CeDeFi Wealth Management Platform has reaped $3.8 million in revenues since its launch.

With a vision to democratize wealth creation using AI, Blockchain and other technologies, backed by global and MENA based investors such as Venture Souk, the company has already racked in $3.8M in revenue, and $30 million in trading volume in 2 months.


In 2024 the company raised $9.5 million with contributions from Chainlink Labs, SingularityDAO, VentureSouq, Pontinova Invest, Cetacean Capital, and ODE Capital. The funds are being used to enhance Wisdomise’s deep tech foundation, focusing on AI/ML, Blockchain, and Quant Finance, and supporting the development of a Financial Intelligence SuperApp.

The capital injection built on Wisdomise’s investment history, including $6.5 million raised in Seed and Pre-Series A rounds in the past two years. The Pre-Series A round in September 2023 valued the company at $75 million post-money.

According to the company, Wisdomise is crypto’s smartest all-in-1 AI trading platform out there, redefining the trading experience of users by saving time, cutting risk & boosting yield for them. Real-time AI Insight Agents analyze millions of market & social media data to identify patterns & catch trends early on, while AI Trading Agents automate & optimize trade execution on CEXs & DEXs. Soon, Wisdomise’s AI Agent Builder will let users create custom, fully autonomous agents for intelligent, automated wealth management.

“The recent funding round is a significant stride in our mission to empower everyone on earth to participate in the exciting world of digital assets. At Wisdomise, we are dedicated to harnessing the power of AI and innovative financial instruments to build a platform that removes barriers to entry and fosters informed decision-making for active traders and passive investors,” Dr. Fardad Zand, CEO and co-founder of Wisdomise. “This additional capital will fuel our efforts to further enhance our deep tech foundation (across three key dimensions: AI/ML, Blockchain, and Quant Finance) and reach new heights, ultimately democratizing access to the immense potential of digital assets and contributing to financial inclusion and independence globally.”

Sonic Labs plans to launch algorithmic AED stablecoin denominated in USD

Sonic Labs plans to launch algorithmic AED stablecoin denominated in USD

A day after the UAE launched its digital dirham CBDC noting that it would be available to retail consumers by the end of 2025, Sonic Labs, an EVM Layer 1 platform that offers DeFi solutions, announced that it would be developing a UAE mathematically bound numerical AED stablecoin which is settled and denominated in USD.

The decision also seems to stems from the full draft of the STABLE Act by Congress for clearer oversight. According to the text, lawmakers are pushing for a two-year moratorium on algorithmic stablecoin.

As such Sonic Labs no longer wants to develop a US dollar pegged algorithmic stablecoin but an AED one. On March 22, Sonic Labs co-founder Andre Cronje said the company was working on a US dollar-pegged algorithmic stablecoin with an annual percentage rate (APR) of up to 23%.

But now Andre Cronje, Co Founder of Sonic Labs, and the Chief Technology Officer of the company stated on X, “We will no longer be releasing a USD based algorithmic stable coin. Completely unrelated, we will be releasing a mathematically bound numerical Dirham which is settled and denominated in USD, which is definitely not a USD based algorithmic stable coin.”

The UAE had enacted its stablecoin regulations back in 2024, allowing for regulated AED stablecoins to be used as a legal tender for the purchasing of goods and services, while allowing non AED stablecoins that had received regulatory approvals in the UAE to be used for the purchase of virtual assets and other crypto assets.

However the Central Bank of UAE strictly forbids the use of algorithmic stablecoins or crypto in any form.

This has pushed stablecoin issuers such as Tether to see a license for an AED backed stablecoin. Additionally the first AED regulated stablecoin, AE Coin from MBANK received a license. While Arab Financial Services (AFS), regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain and Egypt, also holding a retail payment license in the UAE has partnered with Ternoa Blockchain to launch stablecoin and crypto payments across POS ( Point of Service) counters for UAE merchants. The partnership will expand across the GCC.

Even Zand, a UAE digital Bank is also seeking to launch an AED stablecoin.

So it will be interesting to see how Sonic Labs will develop this mathematically bound numerical Dirham AED stablecoin and how it will work.

In December 2024, Sonic Labs launched its Sonic mainnet, an EVM-compatible layer-1 blockchain platform that offers developers attractive incentives and powerful infrastructure. With 10,000 transactions per second (TPS), sub-second finality, and a native, decentralized gateway to Ethereum, Sonic empowers developers to build the next generation of applications on unparalleled infrastructure and liquidity.