U.S. based DTCC to acquire Abu Dhabi digital asset infrastructure provider Securrency

U.S. based DTCC to acquire Abu Dhabi digital asset infrastructure provider Securrency

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, an American post-trade financial services company providing clearing and settlement services to the financial markets known as DTCC, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Abu Dhabi based Securrency Inc. (“Securrency”), a leading developer of institutional-grade, digital asset infrastructure invested in by Mubadala sovereign Fund.

Securrency will become a fully-owned subsidiary of DTCC and will operate under the name DTCC Digital Assets. Nadine Chakar, CEO of Securrency, will join DTCC as Managing Director, Global Head of DTCC Digital Assets, reporting to Lynn Bishop, DTCC Managing Director and Chief Information Officer. Chakar will also join the DTCC Management Committee. In addition, Dan Doney, CTO and founder of Securrency, John Hensel, COO and co-founder, and other members of the Securrency leadership team, as well as roughly 100 Securrency staff of full-time employees or contractors, will become DTCC employees.

Securrency is a blockchain-based financial and regulatory technology developer that raised $30 million in 2021 from State Street, US Bank, WisdomTree Investments and others. It has worked with WisdomTree to help the asset manager launch “blockchain-enabled” funds that keep a secondary record of share ownership on the Stellar or Ethereum blockchains.

Frank La Salla, President, CEO and Director, DTCC, said, “Securrency is an important strategic acquisition that will give us the technology to drive market-wide transformation by enabling end-to-end digital lifecycle processing for tokenized assets, digital currencies and other financial instruments. By bringing together DTCC’s commitment to providing market stability and our unparalleled network of financial market participants with the sophistication of the Securrency technology, we will be in a leading position to unlock the value of digital assets and help guide the industry through its digital transformation journey. We believe this next generation of financial market infrastructure will further reduce settlement times, facilitate market transparency and risk management, enhance regulatory oversight and controls, and unlock efficiency and innovation to create an improved investor experience.”

By combining DTCC’s digital capabilities and Securrency’s technology, DTCC will fast-track development of its enterprise digital asset platform to unlock the power of institutional DeFi. DTCC will leverage the technology over time to embed digital assets within its existing products and services, develop new, regulatory-compliant blockchain-based offerings and explore use cases with the industry, including buyside asset managers, broker-dealers and custodians, to collaborate on new DTCC blockchain-based solutions.

In addition, DTCC will lead the industry’s development of a robust, global digital infrastructure by licensing the Securrency technology and offering professional services. Firms will be able to leverage the technology to transform and evolve their operating models and to create innovative, new digital asset services alone or in collaboration with other market participants – similar to how WisdomTree licenses Securrency’s software as part of the infrastructure for its WisdomTree Prime™ offering that provides tokenized assets and funds via digital wallets for retail investors and consumers.

Chakar said, “As we join forces with DTCC, we are excited to bring together DTCC’s infrastructure capabilities with Securrency’s technology to embrace a future where the digitization of capital markets is at the forefront of innovation. These capabilities will allow DTCC to partner with the industry to build a resilient and scalable infrastructure critical to the mass adoption of digital assets. Together, we will unlock opportunities to reimagine compliance, liquidity, efficiency and interoperability in trading real-world assets on the blockchain.”

DTCC also plans to provide global leadership to foster industry-wide collaboration to help avoid fragmentation with different digital technologies and standards. Securrency’s technology can address this issue by acting as a DLT-agnostic harmonization layer that promotes interoperability, liquidity, transparency and security.

La Salla said, “We look forward to building on our past work to drive consensus around the standards, controls and frameworks necessary to support regulatory-compliant digital asset solutions and development of the right architecture and infrastructure to ensure widespread interoperability. We’re excited to welcome our new colleagues to the DTCC team and to begin collaborating as a group to strengthen market stability and resilience and drive greater efficiencies, productivity, risk mitigation and liquidity in the global financial markets.”

This announcement comes as John Hensel, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Executive Officer, MENA, Securrency told IBS intelligence, “The UAE is ramping up its efforts to become a global blockchain hub.” In his interview he commented on why they chose UAE out of all the other countries globally including, USA, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Singapore.

According to Hensel, SEC ( Securities and Exchange Commission) in the USA has portrayed a conservative approach to the regulation of digital assets, so exploring other regulatory jurisdictions they found that the UAE was a credible, well positioned young financial center that embraced technology with experienced regulatory experts from the USA, Australia, Singapore and others.

He explains, “ After being here for 6 years we have seen the landscape change and become more favorable for investors partnering under FSRA and who are benefiting from the protection of ADGM which will grow opportunities locally for us given we were first movers and have strong relations with sovereign wealth entities, broker dealers, fund managers as key stakeholders.”

Securrency entered the ADGM FSRA regulatory sandbox in 2017 and secured a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) to deal in investments as a matched principal and provide custody for those investments in 2022. The license enabled Securrency Capital to provide trading of digital assets to a variety of clients, including retail clients.

Securrency had raised $30 million in its latest funding round. The funds were used to roll out the company’s expansion plans. The Series B funding round included existing investor WisdomTree Investment along with Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala-backed Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, State Street and U.S. Bank. Prior to that in 202, The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) had invested in Securrency, a US-based developer of blockchain-based financial and regulatory technology through its ventures fund.

The company also signed a strategic partnership with leading investment management and banking firm, Musharaka Capital in KSA, to develop a compliant platform for issuing digital securities in Saudi Arabia in 2020.

stc Bahrain collaborates with a new blockchain network, Conflux

stc Bahrain collaborates with a new blockchain network, Conflux

Conflux Network, a Layer 1 Blockchain network and stc Bahrain, a telecom operator anddigital enabler in the Middle East have collaborated in stc Bahrain’s Web3 Launchpad Program, specifically within the Pearling Path initiative, which aims to support emerging Web3 protocols as they expand in the Middle East.

Through this collaboration, stc Bahrain joins Conflux as a validator on the Conflux Network which will reinforce the security and efficiency of its consensus mechanism.

“This partnership with Conflux Network represents another step forward in our mission to position Bahrain as a hub for emerging technologies,” said Saad Odeh, Chief Wholesale Officer at stc Bahrain. “By operating a validator and supporting Conflux’s advanced blockchain infrastructure, we are empowering developers and enterprises to build transformative solutions, aligning with Bahrain’s Vision 2030.”

“We are thrilled to partner with stc Bahrain as a Pearling Path Partner under the Web3 Launchpad Program,” said Christian Oertel, Global Expansion Lead at Conflux Network. “Bahrain’s strategic location as a gateway between the Middle East and Asia creates a unique opportunity to drive blockchain innovation and connect decentralized economies across these regions. Together with stc Bahrain, we aim to build a secure and scalable foundation for decentralized applications.”

stc Bahrain has partnered with several blockchain networks over the past few years. Earlier this year decentralized privacy-focused network Nillion partnered with stc Bahrain as well as with Nirvana Labs.

W Chain partners with NeurochainAI for payments

W Chain partners with NeurochainAI for payments

W Chain, a hybrid blockchain platform for global payments, has partnered with NeurochainAI, for decentralized AI development. The partnership will leverage the combined strength of both companies to transform the global payment system by deploying amalgamation of AI and blockchain technologies. NeurochainAI is backed by Google’s startup program.

By adding AI to W Chain’s system, they plan to provide smart analysis to prevent frauds, create custom payment experiences for users, and adjust fees in real-time for businesses. W Chain’s hybrid blockchain setup is built to handle high-volume apps and can process up to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS). W Chain works with various digital assets and payment solutions making it beneficial for multiple industries. Simultaneously, NeurochainAI brings its know-how to decentralized AI systems offering tools to create, deploy, and roll out AI models.

Commenting on the development Sathya Prakash, Head of Commercials of W Chain, said “This partnership with NeurochainAI is a big step in our goal to transform global payments through tech. By joining our hybrid blockchain setup with NeurochainAI’s cutting-edge AI tools, we’re set to offer smarter and safer payment systems that keep up with what businesses and customers need today.”

Commenting on the partnership Gabriele Jas, Marketing Manager at NeurochainAI “Our work with W Chain fits right in with our aim to push forward open and fair AI growth. Working together, we’ll give businesses tools to make payments easier while setting new standards for how well and global payments can work.”

The partnership shows W Chain and NeurochainAI share a goal to weave AI deep into W Chain’s system. Both organizations aspire to build smart payment tools that use data predictions to spot fraud before it happens. They also plan to offer custom experiences based on what each user likes.

Ruya, UAE’s first digital Islamic Bank offers crypto trading services

Ruya, UAE’s first digital Islamic Bank offers crypto trading services

UAE based ruya (رويا), the country’s first digital-first Islamic bank has partnered with UAE Fuze a digital asset infrastructure provider to offer its customers crypto services including crypto buying and selling. Users will be able to purchase cryptos such as Bitcoin on Ruya’s mobile application.

As per the announcement this service is part of ruya’s broader investment offering, designed to promote ethical Islamic wealth building and long-term financial growth. Both Fuze and Ruya note that the service is secure, user friendly and aligned with ethical Islamic financial principles.

“At ruya, we are committed to transforming the financial landscape in the UAE by offering forward-thinking services while staying true to our mission of ethical Islamic banking. By integrating virtual assets into our investment platform, we aim to empower our customers to participate in the digital economy in a sustainable and responsible way. We can also assure our customers that the virtual assets we are offering on our ruya investment platform are Shari’ah-compliant, providing much-needed certainty,” said Christoph Koster, CEO of ruya.

Mohammed Ali Yusuf (Mo Ali Yusuf), Co-Founder and CEO of Fuze, shared: “Partnering with ruya is a big step towards making virtual assets a seamless part of everyday banking. Together, we’re combining Fuze’s cutting-edge infrastructure with ruya’s commitment to ethical Islamic banking. We are excited to be at the forefront of providing simple, secure, and ethical digital asset solutions for the future.”

Unlike platforms that encourage speculative trading, ruya’s virtual assets service is part of a carefully curated investment framework, fostering long-term wealth building.

Christoph Koster added, “By partnering with Fuze, we’ve ensured that our customers will benefit from a robust and trusted platform to access the opportunities in the virtual asset space. This service reflects our promise to innovate while maintaining the highest standards of ethical Islamic banking.”

Ruya is not the first bank to offer crypto buy and sell services. A month ago Liv Digital Bank part of Emirates NBD also opened up crypto trading, buying and custody service for clients.

UK crypto broker, Archax sets up presence in Dubai UAE

UK crypto broker, Archax sets up presence in Dubai UAE

UK crypto broker and custodian, Archax, has set up an entity in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC) in Dubai UAE. The company has set up under an Innovation License.

Recently Archax expanded its presence in the EU and US regions and has an offshore tech center in the Philippines. According to the announcement the new setup in Dubai DIFC will act as a technology hub and the first based for wider expansion in UAE.

Graham Rodford, CEO and co-founder of Archax, commented, “From our core business base and presence in London, it has always been the Archax vision to expand our presence into key regions globally. This started with the establishment of our offshore development arm in the Philippines a few years ago and continued recently with our broker acquisitions in Europe and the US – both subject to a successful regulatory change-of-control process. The UAE region is emerging as a digital asset and crypto hub too, so securing a foothold there with this entity in DIFC is a logical next step for us. We are excited by the technology talent and opportunity that exists in Dubai and now look forward to building and expanding our presence in the region”.

Previously UAE based XDC Network, an enterprise-grade Layer-1 blockchain, launched the first money fund tokens on its platform in collaboration with Archax, the FCA regulated digital asset exchange, broker and custodian.

Dubai VARA regulator warns against misrepresenting in governmental real estate tokenization project

Dubai VARA regulator warns against misrepresenting in governmental real estate tokenization project

The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), in coordination with the Dubai Land Department (DLD), has issued an alert regarding entities who have falsely claimed involvement or participation in the pilot phase of the DLD Real estate tokenization project.

The tokenization project in question is that launched by DLD in March whose partners include the Dubai VARA regulatory authority and the Dubai Future Foundation through its Sandbox Real Estate. The project will tokenize property deeds to enable the fractional ownership of real estate assets, and was introduced under the Real Estate Innovation Initiative.

The alert notes that some entities might have falsely claimed or purported their participation in the pilot phase of the DLD Real Estate Tokenization Project. As per the alert the project involves select participants approved by both DLD and VARA. The alert noted that no entities beyond those explicitly approved by DLD and VARA are authorized to participate in the pilot phase.

As per the alert, ” Any entity promoting their involvement in the Project without formal confirmation from either VARA or DLD is misrepresenting their status. Official communications confirming participation will be issued solely by DLD and/or VARA.”

The alert further states that entities marketing real estate tokenization services linked to assets in Dubai, have to be licensed or authorized by the relevant authorities. VARA notes that engaging with unlicensed platforms or those falsely claiming participation in the Project exposes consumers to significant financial risk. These services are not covered by the consumer protection, market integrity, or risk management measures built into the regulated pilot framework.

Entities engaging in or promoting unauthorized activities, or misrepresenting their regulatory status, are liable for enforcement action, including but not limited to public alerts, financial penalties, and market prohibitions.

Consumers and market participants are advised to exercise caution and verify the licensing status of all firms claiming to offer VA-related services by consulting the official VARA Public Register. Any promotional content referencing participation in the Project that has not been validated through VARA or DLD should be treated with caution.

Kuwait Ministry of Interior to target illegal crypto mining

Kuwait Ministry of Interior to target illegal crypto mining

The Kuwait Ministry of Interior (MoI) has issued a statement saying that crypto mining in the country is illegal and unlicensed. Officials from Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy noted that there are over 1,000 crypto mining sites in the country.

In a press statement published on X, the General Department of Security Relations and Media, at the ministry clarified that cryptocurrency mining violates several key laws, including Law No. (56) of 1996 related to the Industry Law, Law No. (31) of 1970 amending certain provisions of the Penal Code No. (16) of 1960, Law No. (37) of 2014 establishing the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), and Law No. (33) of 2016 concerning the Kuwait Municipality.

The Ministry noted that crypto mining depletes electricity power and increases the load on the power networks which can result in power outages a threat to public safety.

This warning follows joint efforts between the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, the Communications and Information Technology Authority, the Public Authority for Industry, and Kuwait Municipality. These efforts are part of a coordinated national initiative to address these illegal practices and reduce their adverse effects on the country’s electrical infrastructure.

The Ministry of Interior urged violators to promptly rectify their activities, emphasizing that failure to comply will result in necessary legal actions. Violators will be referred to the appropriate investigative authorities for further action in accordance with applicable laws.

Kuwait also considers crypto trading as illegal.

However Kuwait as a country is considered as one of the cheapest countries to carry out crypto mining because of its subsidized electricity cost. estimates have previously dubbed Kuwait the most affordable location to mine bitcoin (BTC) worldwide. One roundup suggested the cost of mining in Kuwait was just $1,400 per BTC in 2022 compared to more than $18,000 in Texas (bitcoin was worth more than $40,000 at the time).

Dubai’s Web 3.0 Momentum Accelerates with Unchained Summit

Dubai’s Web 3.0 Momentum Accelerates with Unchained Summit

As the city gears up to host the much-awaited Unchained Summit at the Kempinski Central Avenue on 28th and 29th April, a tide of excitement is rolling over the region’s Web 3.0, Blockchain, and Digital Assets industries.


The summit, hosted by Aeternum, promises more than an average Web 3.0 conference. It’s a high-conviction meeting of founders, investors, policy shapers, and enterprise leaders driving the frontiers of how decentralized infrastructure will transform identity, finance, and trust in the digital world.


Dubai’s Web 3.0 momentum is no longer a whisper, it’s a global signal. As the world tilts toward decentralized infrastructure, Dubai has emerged as the nexus where policy, capital, and innovation come together. With government-backed regulatory clarity, enterprise-grade adoption, and a thriving ecosystem of startups and investors, the emirate is fast becoming the capital of the decentralized ecosystem. Unchained Summit is more than a symptom of this energy; it’s the driving force. The Dubai edition brings global architects of Web 3.0 together in one place, making Dubai a living laboratory for what the internet of value, trust, and autonomy really is.


From builders to billionaires, Unchained Summit’s lineup of speakers include:
• Ronghui Gu, Co-Founder, Certik
• Ella Zhang, Head, YZi Labs
• Kostas Chalkias, Co-Founder and Chief Cryptographer, Mysten Labs
• Sreeram Kannan, Founder & CEO, EigenLayer
• May Zabaneh, VP of Product – Blockchain, Crypto & Digital Currencies, PayPal
• Greg Scanlon, VP Quantitative Blockchain, Franklin Templeton Digital Assets, Franklin Templeton
• Keone Hon, Co-Founder, Monad Foundation
• Lennix Lai, Global Chief Commercial Officer, OKX
• Nils Andersen-Röed, Global Head of FIU, Binance, and more.
“Web 3.0 is a collective movement, and Unchained Summit is where the next wave of builders and thinkers come together. We’re here to drive the conversation. Web 3.0’s growth hinges on infrastructure that can scale — it’s about throughput, cost-efficiency, and long-term sustainability. We’re proud to be at Unchained Summit, pushing the notion on sustainable blockchain designs,” said Abhijit Shukla, Founder of TAN Blockchain.


Richard Ma, CEO & Founder of Quantstamp said, “I’m honored to be speaking at Unchained Summit, a premier event bringing together visionary leaders and innovators in the Web 3.0 ecosystem. At Quantstamp, we’re dedicated to securing the future of blockchain, and I look forward to sharing insights on advancing security, trust, and resilience within this rapidly evolving industry.”


“Markets are moving on-chain—not just assets, but access, distribution, and users. We’re excited to be at Unchained Summit talking about what it takes to put real-world assets in the hands of real people,” said José F. Pereira, Executive Director, Own.
“Web 3.0 moves fast—and the ones who show up shape where it goes. Unchained Summit brings together the doers, not just the talkers. At TBV, we’re here to back the founders turning big ideas into real traction,” said Tobias Bauer, General Partner, TBV.


“Dubai is no longer just participating in Web 3.0, but it’s directing traffic,” says Sharath Kumar, Founder & CEO of Aeternum and organizer of Unchained Summit. “This is the one of the first real moments where we’re seeing decentralized technologies collide with institutional capital, national policy, and entrepreneurial energy—all in one city.”


Unchained Summit’s official sponsors include:
• Platinum Sponsors: Mesh and Own
• Afterparty Sponsor: Consciousness
• Gold Sponsors: KoinBX, MOI Technology, and TAN Blockchain
• Silver Sponsors: AEON, BTSE, Mantle Network, and f(x) Protocol
• Bronze Sponsors: BlockchainX, Gresham International, EcoTrader, and Threshold
• Official Media Partner: Coin Edition


With increasing interest in industries ranging from AI-driven gaming to tokenized assets, Unchained Summit indicates a wider industry transition: Web 3.0 is increasingly finding its way into mainstream enterprise planning. And as a result of this, after its Dubai edition, Unchained Summit is set to make its India debut on 5th and 6th December 2025, reaffirming its commitment to bridge APAC, Middle Eastern, and European Web 3.0 & Crypto ecosystems.
As the Dubai chapter draws to a close, one thing is certain: the decentralized future is no longer a distant prospect; it is happening already.
Tickets for the Dubai edition are on sale on the official site: unchainedsummit.com

UAE mobile gaming platform Rise of Fearless launches

UAE mobile gaming platform Rise of Fearless launches

Rise of Fearless, a UAE mobile gaming platform that merges African storytelling with immersive battle royale gameplay, has officially launched targeting over 680 million mobile users in an industry projected to reach a value of $3.72 billion by 2029.

Rise of Fearless is now available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play in its early release phase with plans to expand to other platforms.

Rise of Fearless offers intense, skill-based battle royale combat that is deeply rooted in Africa’s heritage and history – inspired by Ethiopia’s victory at the Battle of Adwa. The game launches as a free-to-play mobile experience to ensure accessibility to a broad audience.

As part of its future roadmap, Rise of Fearless plans to integrate Web3 technology and allow players to own in-game assets, earn rewards, and participate in a secure digital economy. The move to blockchain will empower African gamers with new financial opportunities, especially in regions with limited access to traditional banking.

The African gaming industry is growing at 12 percent annually outpacing global averages.

Rise of Fearless will utilize open-source smart contracts in its Web3 phase, giving players full ownership of in-game items, such as weapons, skins, and rewards. The blockchain-based system will create a fair, transparent, and financially rewarding gaming experience.

Kanessa Muluneh, founder of Rise of Fearless, noted, “As an Ethiopian-born entrepreneur in Dubai, I have experienced how the UAE’s ecosystem empowers changemakers and connects countries and cultures with gaming communities. We have invested significantly in developing Rise of Fearless and are now raising USD 700,000 to expand the game, enhance gameplay, and transition to Web3. This funding will allow us to build a blockchain-powered gaming ecosystem where players can truly own their digital assets and unlock new financial opportunities for gamers across Africa. With this expansion, Rise of Fearless will not only push the boundaries of African gaming but also drive knowledge transfer, job creation, and social impact in one of the fastest-growing gaming markets in the world.”

MantraChain OM Token is burning

MantraChain OM Token is burning

MANTRA Chain has announced through its CEO and Founder , John Patrick Mullin that they are currently burning 150 million allocation of team tokens. He had made this promise last week in an effort to rebuild trust and demonstrate an a focus on building trust, accessible and inclusive financial ecosystem through tokenization.

As per the announcement the Team and Core Contributor tokens were staked at mainnet genesis, in October 2024, to bootstrap network security. The process of unstaking 150 million tokens from the Team and Core Contributor bucket has now begun. It can be verified through the following transaction hash;

CE0E166DED4F267B22F16D011A7F511FFDDB4AADB31A2FE6A0E6E81690E339AA

DFB6C3DDFFDC09B9B2A16175401D8B7DB81C79C774203E17859694FA9D8C79C5

7D056D17F2A57A27E807FB9F12E739B24306FC7B8B651B27622A022EC18EFD5D

The unstaking period will be completed on 29 April 2025. Once this process is finalized, all tokens will be sent directly to the burn address: mantra1qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqcg2my8.

These tokens will be permanently removed, reducing the total supply by the same amount, 150 million OM.

The announcements also added that MANTRA is in ongoing conversations with key ecosystem partners to implement an additional 150 million OM token burn, which will bring the total burn amount to 300 million OM.


After unbonding, MANTRA Chain will burn 150 million OM, reducing the total supply from 1.82 billion OM to 1.67 billion OM while decreasing staked tokens from 571.8 million OM to 421.8 million OM.

This strategic burn will lower the bonded ratio from 31.47% to 25.30%, resulting in an increase in staking APR. Once the burn transaction has been executed and confirmed on the blockchain, complete verification will be provided.

This comes a week after Mantra Chain, the Layer one tokenization platform, regulated in the UAE by Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, has shed almost $10 billion dollars in less than 24 hours on April 13th 2025. The OM token price dropped from around $6 dollars to 0.37 in a matter of hours.

At the time both investors, Shorooq and Laser Digital denied that they had sold their OM Tokens, while Mantra Chain CEO seems to be pointing hands towards the crypto exchanges, when he shared his preliminary report.