Tokenization platform Ctrl Alt sets up office in UAE after partnering with Emirates NBD

Tokenization platform Ctrl Alt sets up office in UAE after partnering with Emirates NBD

Ctrl Alt, a leading financial engineering and tokenization platform that utilizes blockchain technology, with offices in the UK and Ireland, has set up its office in Dubai UAE in DMCC ( Dubai Multi Commodities Center), after partnering with Emirates NBD. It intends to serve Dubai initially as it plans expansion into MENA region. ‍

Launched in 2022 by Matt Ong (formerly of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse) to improve access to different assets through the power of tokenization, Ctrl Alt has since become one of the leaders in the tokenization space.

The company will initially focus on Dubai already partnering with Emirates NBD.

‍As per the press release, this expansion is driven by Dubai’s momentum and focus to accelerate the integration of tokenized assets across a variety of use cases and clients. Having already achieved significant success in the UK and Europe with $150m of assets under management, Ctrl Alt aims to replicate and expand upon this in the UAE.‍

The region will be led by Robert Farquhar, previously Senior Executive Officer at Prypco, a leading real estate and fractional real estate provider. Ctrl Alt has already tokenized a residential house in the UK and will look to further innovation of the real estate industry and other asset classes in Dubai and beyond. ‍

Founder and CEO, Matt Ong stated, “‍ “The momentum in Dubai has been remarkable, making it a natural choice for our third office. Dubai is going to be at the forefront of tokenization and I’m thrilled for Ctrl Alt to be part of that journey. With Robert’s experience and his proven track record in the region, we look forward to deepening our presence and working more closely with our clients here.”
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Robert Farquhar added, ‍ “Joining and launching Ctrl Alt in Dubai is an incredible opportunity. Ctrl Alt has already paved the way for tokenizing real-world assets in the UK and Europe. Their expertise in financial engineering, combined with cutting-edge technology, is exactly what Dubai needs to further its ambitions as a leader in this space.”
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This comes at the heels of an announcement by Xalts, a UAE based Fintech firm specializing in tokenization, collaboration with Avalanche to bring more enterprise-grade real world asset tokenization solutions for institutions.

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UAE Fintech firm Xalts partners with Avalanche for tokenization of RWAs

UAE Fintech firm Xalts partners with Avalanche for tokenization of RWAs

Xalts, a UAE based Fintech firm specializing in tokenization, has announced its collaboration with Avalanche to bring more enterprise-grade real world asset tokenization solutions for institutions. Xalts has also recently joined the Qatar Financial Center’s digital assets lab for tokenizing real world assets.

As per the press release, this will provide out-of-the-box solutions to enable financial services, governments, and other enterprise developers looking to build digital asset platforms for implementing blockchain, tokenization, and smart contract applications for different use cases such as the tokenization of funds, securities, commodities and trade finance assets, digital currencies, and CDBCs.

Xalts works with financial services and businesses to provide connectivity by leveraging a modern technology stack, including APIs, Blockchains, and Orchestration layers. Its product suite includes solutions such as the RWA Cloud platform, which enables large institutions such as financial services and governments to quickly build complex solutions on blockchains.

RWA Cloud addresses challenges enterprises and regulators face while implementing blockchain, such as retaining complex rules, workflows, processes, and user compliances mandated by internal or regulatory governance.

With this collaboration, financial institutions can deploy custom blockchain networks that meet specific financial requirements and comply with local regulations using Avalanche’s L1 technology, orchestrate and automate their on-chain processes, tokenize digital assets and liabilities on the blockchain via smart workflows using Xalts’ RWA Cloud.

“Our collaboration with Xalts enables us to jointly offer RWA tokenization technology infrastructure and solutions to financial services institutions, including banks, asset managers, and fintechs alike”, said Morgan Krupetsky, Head of Institutions & Capital Markets at Ava Labs.

Xalts recently joined the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Authority Digital Assets Lab to test and commercialize use cases in real-world asset tokenization.

“We are very excited to partner with Avalanche. This will make the development of blockchain and smart contract solutions much more accessible and accelerate enterprise use cases”, said Ashutosh Goel, Chief Executive Officer, Xalts.

“We have an exciting roadmap ahead of us with Xalts as we jointly enable financial institutions across markets in their RWA tokenization journey!”, said Devika Mittal, Regional Head at Ava Labs.

UAE Phoenix Group sponsors CNBC Arabia Crypto show

UAE Phoenix Group sponsors CNBC Arabia Crypto show

UAE Phoenix Group, the blockchain and crypto holding group, the first UAE bitcoin mining entity has announced that it will be sponsoring the new CNBC Arabia show called Crypto Weekly Show.

As per their X post, Phoenix Group stated, “Phoenix Group is excited to sponsor “Crypto Weekly” on CNBCArabia as we look to advance understanding and knowledge around digital assets. Catch Henri Arslanian and May Ben Khadra every Monday at 6:30 PM KSA / 7:30 PM UAE for insightful discussions on the latest crypto trends and more, featuring special guests each week.”

During the first week of September, Henri Arslanian, Co-Founder and Managing Partner Nine Blocks Capital Management and a well-known blockchain and crypto podcaster, investor and analyst announced that he would be launching his first TV show on CNBCArabia.

He noted at the time that it would be co-hosted by May Khadra a well-seasoned business presenter and that it would include interviews with CEOs, regulators or investors, a crypto educational segment and my point of view on recent developments in the industry.

The first episode aired on Monday Sept 9 at 6:30pm KSA/7:30pm UAE on CNBC Arabia. It hosted Mathew White the CEO of Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority.

He stated on X in a post, “This show would have never been possible without the support of each one of you who have supported my educational content since 2016. A huge thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Having such a show on digital assets aired prime time four times a week to 50 million households across the Mideast/GCC and globally via my social media channels is another milestone for our industry as we continue to educate both institutional and retail investors on the future of finance and money.”

OKX Middle East publishes new virtual asset standards for listing on its crypto exchange

OKX Middle East publishes new virtual asset standards for listing on its crypto exchange

UAE based OKX crypto exchange clarifies its new virtual asset standards prior to them being listed on its Middle East exchange as per Dubai’s Virtual Asset regulatory authority requirements.

OKX Middle East published the set of factors it will be utilizing when it evaluates virtual assets before listing them on its exchange.

According to the UAE based crypto exchange the standards have been prepared in accordance with Rule VIII.A.1 of the VARA market conduct rulebook, and are also available on OKX’s website in accordance with Rule VIII.A.3 of the VARA Market conduct rulebook.

OKX Middle East will asset the market metrics of virtual assets market capitalization, fully diluted value and liquidity and whether metrics have trended downwards over time.

It will also review the design system, such as features, use cases both intended and unintended by the issuer or relevant developers.

In terms of compliance, the crypto exchange will evaluate the virtual asset compliance features, regulations, rules or directives as well as AML/CFT sanctions, securities, and intellectual property.

It will also review how regulators are treating this virtual asset whether by VARA or other authorities outside of Dubai, including regulatory approvals

It will also review whether the virtual asset is prohibited by VARA or other regulators in or outside of the UAE.

OKX even goes as far as to asset the security and immutability of the DLT protocol on which the virtual asset is built.

Furthermore, OKX will evaluate whether the Virtual Asset may be susceptible to price manipulation for any reason and relevant mitigations that will be implemented by OKX. It will also investigate the background of issuer and whether it has been subject to any investigations or claims in relation to fraud or deceit.

OKX Middle East will finally monitor the terms and conditions of the Virtual Asset correlate with any physical market to ensure such terms and conditions conform to standards and practices in that physical market (if applicable).

OKX has been expanding its regulated operations in MENA with both a license from the Dubai UAE VARA as well as one in Turkey.

UAE Cypher Capital invests in AI and Blockchain SxT $20 million series A round

UAE Cypher Capital invests in AI and Blockchain SxT $20 million series A round

UAE based Cypher Capital has invested in AI and Blockchain startup Space and Time (SxT) as part of the $20 million Series A funding round.

SxT is a verifiable compute layer designed to boost the mainstream adoption of DeFi protocols and smart contracts by combining the power of AI and blockchain.

Space and Time (SxT) Labs raised $20 million in Series A funding led by Framework Ventures. CypherCapital was among several ventures capital firms that included Lightspeed Faction, Arrington Capital, and Hivemind Capital, Microsoft’s M12 Ventures, DCG, F-Prime Capital, OKX ventures, Circle Ventures and Alumni Ventures.

Vineet Budki, Managing Partner, Cypher Capital noted on Linkedin, “ Cypher Capital LLC is excited to be part of the $20M Series A funding round for the Space and Time (SxT) network, a groundbreaking project at this intersection. Among SxT innovations is a comprehensive blockchain indexing system that supports Ethereum (ETH), Bitcoin (BTC), and Polygon (MATIC) networks. The network also features a robust data warehouse that integrates and analyses both blockchain and off-chain data using SQL-based tools, along with the proof of SQL for scalable, trustless data processing.”

Other standout products include the hashtag#Space and hashtag#Time DB, API Gateway & streaming, Extreme Workloads (HTAP), and a dashboard powered by OpenAI.

To date SxT Labs has secure $50 million in funding to accelerate engineering and product development.

SxT Labs has reportedly spent the last two years building its proof-of-SQL, a zero-knowledge (ZK) circuit that provides smart contract developers and companies with the capability to verify data integrity. In decentralized finance (DeFi), for instance, the solution could be used to verify the credibility of borrowers based on real-time data or to track the performance of assets. 

The startup’s data warehouse allows both indexed blockchain data and centralized databases to be analyzed using SQL queries, thus providing a way to verify the integrity of data and operations on and offchain.

Recently Cypher Capital also participated in investment in Echelon decentralized lending platform.

QFC accepts Polygon among 24 companies into digital assets lab

QFC accepts Polygon among 24 companies into digital assets lab

Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), financial and business center has announced that its QFC Digital Assets Lab is now live with the onboarding of 24 participants which include entities such as Polygon and Blade Labs among others. This cohort will benefit from a comprehensive support system for developing, testing and commercializing their digital solutions and services.

As per the press release, the participants will develop transformative solutions tailored to a variety of use cases across different industries. By leveraging blockchain/ distributed ledger technology, these innovators seek to address industry challenges and drive digital transformation in their respective sectors.

Among the 24 successful candidates are ALT Realtech, Bladelabs, Polygon, Taurus, Settlemint and Partior.

To bolster the capabilities of the Digital Assets Lab, QFC has partnered with leading international organizations such as Google Cloud, Masraf Al Rayan, The Hashgraph Association, and R3. According to QFC, these strategic partners will offer subject matter expertise, providing participants with valuable knowledge and industry insights. The full list of partners and participants is available on the QFC website

The Digital Assets Lab supports the stakeholders in exploring and experimenting with various use cases, such as trade finance, real-world asset tokenization, carbon credit tokenization and various ancillary services to support the end-to-end tokenization. To facilitate these processes, the Lab and its participants will operate under the newly launched QFC Digital Assets Framework, established to ensure a secure and transparent digital asset ecosystem for asset tokenization processes and the implementation of a trusted technology infrastructure.

Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC, commented on the diversity of the first cohort, stating: “I am delighted that the Digital Assets Lab has officially commenced, with 24 participants working on technologies with different applications. Their collective effort and expertise will be pivotal in advancing digital asset solutions across multiple industries. The technologies we aim to develop through the Lab will support our goal of creating a resilient and secure financial sector, fostering a thriving wealth management hub, and positioning Qatar at the forefront of innovation.”

In a Linkedin post, Henk Jan Hoogendoorn, Chief of Financial Services sector at QFC, noted, ” We are open for Financial Institutions that would like to partner with our Digital Assets Lab. We are aiming to attract use cases around tokenization of Real World Assets.”

While, Aditya Kumar Sinha, Head of Fintech & Digital Innovation at Qatar Financial Centre noted, “Congratulations to all the participants and lot of thanks to all our partners! We look forward to accelerate the pace of innovation in Qatar!”

The QFC Digital Assets Lab was launched in October 2023 to accelerate the development of Qatar’s digital ecosystem and provide a platform for transforming promising digital concepts into cutting-edge technologies that can be practically applied in various industries.

This comes weeks after Qatar announced its digital assets framework, and its DLT guidelines.

UAE Capstone Technology raises $5.4 million dollars for Gaya blockchain project

UAE Capstone Technology raises $5.4 million dollars for Gaya blockchain project

UAE Blockchain and AI technology entity, Capstone Technology, has raised $5.4 million in its first funding round, to develop the “GAYA” blockchain project.

The “GAYA” project aims to build a blockchain system and an integrated first network to support entrepreneurial projects in several sectors, including entertainment, gaming industry, artificial intelligence, in addition to environmental, social responsibility and governance standards; in order to contribute to providing innovative solutions that support the sustainable digital economy.

“The new project represents a strategic step towards an entrepreneurial environment based on using the latest technology to empower a new generation of entrepreneurs and tap new horizons for sustainable growth,” confirmed Abdullah Al-Mousa Al-Maksour, CEO of Capstone Technology Group.
He pointed out that to this end, the company works to own and manage technological assets and develop software with a special focus on Web 3 and mobile applications through effective partnerships, noting that his company will employ the new investments to enhance its presence in the UAE and the Arab region, improve its platform and provide new benefits to customers.

Al-Maksour explained that the project aims to continue efforts to adopt blockchain technology among entrepreneurs, in line with the UAE government’s vision to enhance the digital economy by supporting innovation and entrepreneurial projects to continue accelerating the pace of growth in this vital sector.

The UAE is one of the fastest growing countries in the fields of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology , as artificial intelligence technologies are expected to contribute about 14% of the gross domestic product by 2030.

UAE Fils to offset carbon footprint of Saudi capital market fintechs

UAE Fils to offset carbon footprint of Saudi capital market fintechs

UAE based Fils, an ESG-focused financial technology that utilizes blockchain technology is collaborating with Saudi based tech platform Madkhol, which specializes in robo-advisory investment services, to offset the carbon footprint of Saudi capital market fintechs. The official signing took place at the prestigious 24 Fintech event, marking a significant milestone for both companies and the region.

This collaboration allows Madkhol’s customers to seamlessly invest in carbon credits and actively offset their carbon footprint directly through the platform. By embedding Fils’ sustainability stack, Madkhol is setting a new benchmark for capital market fintechs in Saudi Arabia and beyond, enabling users to integrate impactful climate action into their investment portfolios.

Capital markets play a pivotal role in driving economic growth and sustainability initiatives. Globally, the world requires $9.2 trillion annually to meet sustainability and climate goals, according to industry estimates. Achieving this will require the participation of every industry, with capital markets as a key driver of this monumental transition. Sustainable investments, which reached over $35 trillion in assets in 2020, are a critical part of this movement.

Saudi Arabia is leading the charge with its Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) initiative, which aims to create one of the largest carbon trading platforms in the region. Spearheaded by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Saudi Tadawul Group, this initiative aligns with the country’s Vision 2030 goals and is designed to promote investments in carbon credits and support companies in achieving their net-zero ambitions. The inaugural auction of carbon credits by the Saudi VCM saw a record 1.4 million tons of carbon credits sold, highlighting the sector’s growth potential.

The partnership between Fils and Madkhol is strategically aligned with Saudi Arabia’s VCM initiative. By leveraging Fils’ sustainability infrastructure, this collaboration allows users to participate in the carbon credit market with full transparency, trust, and integrity, setting a new standard for ESG investments.

CEO of Fils, Nameer Khan, commented: “Our partnership with Madkhol comes at a critical time when sustainable finance is becoming a cornerstone of capital markets, and Saudi Arabia’s VCM initiative is setting the stage for the region. Together, we are enabling users to make investments that not only drive returns but also contribute to a sustainable future. This collaboration highlights Fils’ commitment to transparency and trust, essential elements in building a credible and superior solution in the sustainability space.”

He added, “The global challenge of reaching $9.2 trillion annually in climate investments can only be met through the leadership of key industries, and capital markets are at the forefront of this transformation. Fils’ integrity-driven platform ensures that businesses and investors can participate in carbon markets with confidence, helping to foster a more sustainable world.”

Saad bin Atyan, CEO of Madkhol, commented, “At Madkhol, we are committed to providing our customers with innovative and responsible investment solutions. Partnering with Fils allows us to take our platform to the next level by integrating carbon credit investments and giving our customers a practical way to offset their emissions. Signing this partnership at 24 Fintech highlights our dedication to pioneering sustainable fintech in Saudi Arabia.”

By utilizing Fils’ comprehensive API-driven sustainability stack, Madkhol customers can now access a variety of carbon credit projects, enabling transparent reporting and ensuring investments align with environmental goals. This seamless integration also supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives of promoting sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.

Ahson Saeed, Partner – Strategy & Commercials at Fils, noted, “At Fils, we believe that the future of finance is not just about returns, but about responsible, impactful investments. Our partnership with Madkhol is a testament to this vision, bringing together cutting-edge technology and a deep commitment to sustainability. By integrating carbon credit investments into everyday financial decisions, we are empowering investors to take actionable steps towards a greener future. This collaboration marks a new chapter in sustainable finance, aligned with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious climate goals and the broader global movement towards ESG-driven growth.”

Currently, the Fils network supports over 105 banks, 1.5 million merchants, and 4 million wallets. Leveraging innovative fintech and blockchain technologies, Fils provides businesses with the tools to integrate climate-positive solutions across industries. Fils is at the forefront of transforming the financial landscape to foster sustainability, building trust through transparency and integrity.

Fluent crypto payments platform to develop digital trade corridor in the UAE using stablecoins

Fluent crypto payments platform to develop digital trade corridor in the UAE using stablecoins

US based Fluent Finance has joined the UAE’s NextGen FDI program and plans to develop a digital trade corridor in the UAE using stablecoins. The Ministry of Economy announced that the developer of a cryptocurrency-based payment platform that facilitates cross-border trade, joined and will be setting up operations in Abu Dhabi. Fluent plans to grow its workforce to between 100-125 people within five years.

Fluent will use its new UAE headquarters to deploy and scale its proprietary Fluent Economic Bridge, which can be used by importers and exporters to settle transactions via a bank-issued cryptocurrency, which are known as stablecoins or, increasingly, deposit tokens. By working with banks and regulators in the UAE capital, Fluent believes its platform offers the immediacy and transparency of cryptocurrency with the security and regulatory structure of the traditional banking system. They are already piloting the platform in Kenya, and now hope to develop a digital trade corridor with the UAE.

Fluent’s technology-led approach towards trade aligns with the Ministry of Economy’s TradeTech Initiative, in which they have partnered with the World Economic Forum (WEF) to promote the use of advanced technology tools in global supply chains, and also the country’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement program, which aims to achieve frictionless trade between the UAE and an increasing number of nations across the world.

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said Fluent’s participation in the NextGen FDI initiative underlines the UAE’s status as a hub for global trade and a supportive ecosystem for new technologies such as blockchain: “The UAE has become a prominent advocate for the modernization of the multilateral trading system, as well as a supportive place for the development of the tools and applications that can deliver it. I am optimistic about the possibilities of the Fluent Economic Bridge, and the potential for digital currencies to improve the efficiency and accessibility of global supply chains. In the build-up to the World Trade Organisation’s 13th Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi in February next year, encouraging platforms such as those developed by Fluent will offer an important proof point for the UAE’s leadership on trade technology.”

Bradley Allgood, Fluent Finance’s Chief Executive Officer, said the UAE was the obvious place in which to launch Fluent Economic Bridge. “The UAE offers exactly the kind of supportive, enabling environment that Web3 companies such as Fluent require. The combination of thoughtful regulation, forward-looking vision and advanced technology ambitions means we have the right foundations on which to develop our product and grow our organization. Importantly, this is also an important trade crossroads, which provides a multitude of opportunities to deploy our platform. We genuinely believe that, with the right support, we can transform Fluent Economic Bridge into the next unicorn.”

Launched in 2022, NextGen FDI aims to support the growth of the nation’s knowledge-driven economy by enabling rapid incorporation processes to speed up licensing, facilitating the issuance of bulk or golden visas, accelerating banking services, and providing commercial and residential lease incentives for advanced technology companies seeking to relocate to the UAE.

Recently The UAE Ministry of Economy incorporated VeraViews, a new Blockchain / DLT ( Distributed Ledger Technology) enabled digital advertising platform that verified advertising views and eliminates the dissemination of harmful content and bad actors from using the media supply chain to fund ad scams.

UAE to verify advertising using blockchain technology

UAE to verify advertising using blockchain technology

The UAE Ministry of Economy has incorporated VeraViews, a new Blockchain / DLT ( Distributed Ledger Technology) enabled digital advertising platform that verified advertising views and eliminates the dissemination of harmful content and bad actors from using the media supply chain to fund ad scams.

Using its proprietary blockchain proof of view technology, the company which is currently beta testing its video ad serving product, has established its global headquarter in Dubai Media City. VeraViews will ensure that marketing budgets reach verifiable audiences via properly accredited agencies and publishers.

The UAE Ministry of Economy has incorporated VeraViews under its NextGen FDI initiative. VeraViews is the latest enterprise to take advantage of the Ministry of Economy’s NextGen FDI program, which seeks to enhance the UAE’s competitiveness by attracting innovative companies with a package of market-entry fundamentals, including fast-track incorporation, bulk visa-issuance and access to banking and commercial real estate.

Its open-ledger advertising platform is powered by patented blockchain technology and has the potential to not only simplify the advertiser-publisher relationship but identify and ultimately eliminate malicious actors from the sector, at the same time contributing toward making the UAE the safest digital advertising ecosystem in the world.

Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said, “The NextGen FDI initiative continues to welcome cutting-edge companies that are developing and deploying advanced technology to enhance some of our most important industries. VeraViews’ distributed ledger technology based advertising platform has the potential to revolutionise the media sector here in the UAE – and, ultimately, across the world.

“Advertising is a crucial means for companies to build their business, expand their customer base and promote their products and services, and it is vital we are able to create an industry that is transparent and trustworthy, and an arena in which every dollar spent by our enterprises receives a dollar’s worth of value.”

VeraViews CEO Mark Firth believes the UAE is the ideal home for the company’s global headquarters. He added, “The media industry in the UAE is dynamic and diverse, with a mature blend of platforms, publishers, agencies and networks. VeraViews believes our distributed ledger technology can add significant value to the sector by helping to eliminate fraud and prevent the dissemination of misinformation or other forms of harmful content.

“We are hugely appreciative of the support the NextGen FDI programme has offered and welcome the opportunity to work with both the UAE government and industry stakeholders to build an advertising ecosystem that benefits everyone.”

The global digital advertising market is currently worth over US$550 billion, with the Middle East one of its fastest-growing regions. The region’s advertising market is projected to reach US$6.9 billion by the end of 2024, with online advertising accounting for well over half that total.

The UAE remains the second-largest advertising market, with US$1.8 billion spent in 2023.