PRYPCO Mint, MENA’s first real estate tokenization platform, in the funding of its latest Park Ridge Tower C, located in Dubai Hills valued at $653,000 has not only attracted the highest number of investors totally 326, for a single property with an average investment of $2000.

The Park Ridge Tower C offered investors an estimated 14.39% instant appreciation, funded by 326 investors from 51 nationalities. Almost 50% of those investors were returning ones.

“Achieving the highest number of investors in a single property to date is a powerful validation of what we’re building at PRYPCO Mint. We’re seeing growing confidence in fractional ownership, and this momentum only fuels our drive to innovate and scale further”, said Amira Sajwani, Founder and CEO of PRYPCO.

While PRYPCO MINT, the first licensed real estate tokenization platform, in partnership with Dubai Land Department, Dubai’s Regulatory Authority, and powered by Ctrl Alt blockchain, has tokenized 6 properties for investment, Dr. Mahmoud Al Burai, Senior Director of real estate policies and Innovation at Dubai Land Department also announced that soon it will all include crypto payments in October 2025.

In a recent LinkedIn post Dr. Mahmoud Al Burai noted that Crypto is coming as well as more opportunities in the real estate industry. He stated, “We are disrupting the industry big time. Hopefully we see soon investors and tenants paying in Crypto. Crypto traders buying real estate tokens, brokers getting commission in crypto and service charges paid in crypto.”

Alps Blockchain, an Italian company that builds and operates mining farms to contribute the development of new technologies and the evolution of the energy sector, has announced that it Bitcoin mining site in Oman is now fully operational with 150 MW.

According to Alps Blockchain this is a major milestone for Alps in the Middle East.

According to the LinkedIn post, the facility has grown from 10 MW to 150 MW in a year.

In April 2025, Alps Blockchain announced that it was expanding its mining operation from 10 Megawatt to 150 Megawatt in Oman.

Launched in 2024, the project initially involved a 10-Megawatt phase, successfully completed in the first half of last year. In July 2024, Azimut, an independent, global group in asset management, wealth management, investment banking and fintech, completed a new club deal to invest in Alps Blockchain totaling $156 million to be used for Alp Blockchain growth initiatives of which Oman was one.

The 150 MGW phase had been under construction since January 2025 in Salalah through the subsidiary Alps Middle East SPC in partnership with Green Data City.

The Blockchain Group now rebranded to Capital B, listed on Euronext Growth Paris, which became Europe’s first Bitcoin Treasury Company, holding subsidiaries specialized in Data Intelligence, AI, and decentralized technology consulting and development aligning itself with Bitcoin’s founding principles, has announced it plans to expand to the UAE and set up a subsidiary in Abu Dhabi.

As per the press release, the Company noted that it is currently engaged in the process of establishing a subsidiary in Abu Dhabi (UAE) to support the development of Capital B’s Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy. The press release adds that these developments reflect the acceleration of the Company’s Bitcoin Treasury Company strategy, which is focused on increasing the number of bitcoin per share on a fully diluted basis over time.

Capital B also shared its ambitions to create Bitcoin treasure stating that it has already bought 1.955 Bitcoins 64% of the 3,000 it aims to purchase before 2026, with an overall ambition to acquire 250,000 BTC by end of 2033.

Capital B now considers itself as a Bitcoin treasury company adopting a bitcoin standard in November 2024. In 6 months since adopting Bitcoin as a treasury, Capital B has seen growth of 745% in 6 months and is expecting that this growth will 2,275% at the end of the next 8 months.

Additionally Capital B launched BTC Convertible bonds.

In another press release, Capital B announced that it raised 10.3 million Euros equivalent to $12 million to contribute to the tokenization of the company shared on the platform Stokr allowing it to pursue its Bitcoin Treasury company strategy.

Earlier in the GCC region, Bahrain based Al Abraaj Restaurants Group B.S.C. (Ticker: ABRAAJ) (“Company”), a public listed company on the Bahrain Bourse, announced that it put Bitcoin on its balance sheet. The Group purchased Bitcoin in partnership with U.S. based 10X Capital, becoming the first publicly traded company in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”), and the Middle East to acquire Bitcoin as a treasury asset.

Raoul Pal, the Co-Founder and CEO of Real Vision, a financial knowledge and educational platform, in a recent visit and meeting with sovereign wealth funds in the MENA region, specifically in the GCC, found that the mandate is to use AI ( Artifical Intelligence) and Blockchain across the entire region.

In his X video interview, Pal noted, ” A month ago during my last trip to MENA region, and in my meetings with sovereign wealth funds across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and UAE, the mandate across entire region from Saudi, Abu Dhabi Bahrain and Qatar is AI and Blockchain and not just using Bitcoin as a reserve asset but building the entire government structure on blockchain, driving licenses, property deeds the whole bloody lot.”

In the recent Chainalysis, 2025 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update: Stolen Funds Surge as DPRK Sets New Records, report the UAE topped the countries globally with the most crypto value stolen from victims, almost equal to the statistics for the USA. The average crypto value stolen per victim was around $80,000.

According to the report over $2.17 billion stolen from cryptocurrency services so far in 2025. So far 2025 is more devastating than the entirety of 2024. The DPRK’s $1.5 billion hack of ByBit, the largest single hack in crypto history, accounts for the majority of service losses.

Furthermore, by the end of June 2025, 17% more value had been stolen year-to-date (YTD) than in 2022, previously the worst year on record. The report noted that if current trends continue, stolen funds from services could eclipse $4 billion by year’s end. While 2022 — previously the worst year on record according to our data — required 214 days to crack $2 billion in value stolen from services, 2025 achieved comparable theft volumes in just 142 days.

Personal wallet compromises now represent a growing share of total ecosystem theft, with attackers increasingly targeting individual users, making up 23.35% of all stolen fund activity YTD in 2025.

Geographically in terms of personal wallet victimizations, which is not comprehensive, in 2025, the U.S., Germany, Russia, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, and South Korea top the list of highest victim counts per country, whereas Eastern Europe, MENA and CSAO saw the most rapid H1 2024 to H1 2025 growth in victim totals.

The report goes on to note that somewhat divergent list of countries emerges when plotting the value stolen per victim in 2025. As shown in the chart below, the U.S., Japan and Germany remain in the top 10, but the UAE, Chile, India, Lithuanian, Iran, Israel, and Norway have some of the highest victimization severity rates globally.

In North America the Bitcoin and altcoin saw the most thefts, while Europe led in Ether and stablecoin theft. As for APAC it ranks second in terms of total BTC stolen, and third in terms of stolen ETH, whereas CSAO ranks second in terms of stolen altcoin and stolen stablecoin value.

Fairly consistently, Sub-saharan Africa ranks the lowest in terms of value stolen (second to last in terms of compromised BTC), which is most likely indicative of lower wealth levels in this region and not necessarily a signal of lower victimization rates among crypto users.

Why UAE tops the globe with crypto value stolen for victims

There are many reasons why the UAE crypto users are losing the most in crypto. First the number of crypto users in the UAE has reached 30% of the population. Secondly UAE between July 2023 and June 2024, received $30 billion in crypto, ranking the country among the top 40 globally in this regard and making it MENA’s third largest crypto economy.

The UAE has also set up a regulatory environment that allows for crypto trading, investment and even payments in AED stablecoins, while being one of the countries in the GCC with the most international mesh of global citizens.

While the UAE is working to deal with crypto crimes either through police or judiciary, citizens using crypto still have to be vigilant about personal wallets, investments, and the crypto exchanges they use.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has become the first governmental judiciary entity in MENA to accept stablecoins as a form of digital payments for judicial and legal service fees. With Al Maryah Bank, known as Mbank, ADJD will be using the AED regulated stablecoin AE Coin as a payment means for court related transactions.

As per the press release, ADJD believes this is a milestone towards a fully integrated digital economy and sets the stage for a new era in digital government payments as part of a digitized government.

His Excellency Counsellor Yousef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, stated that the agreement forms part of the department’s broader development strategy and aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, Chairman of ADJD, to build a modern and innovative judicial system that embraces rapid digital transformation to ensure swift justice and enhance Abu Dhabi’s global competitiveness.

He added, “By diversifying smart payment options and embracing digital currency, we are supporting institutional cooperation and integrating the judicial and financial sectors through advanced technology.” He added that the department is keen on building strategic partnerships with leading banking institutions to maximise the use of digital capabilities and fintech innovations in support of ADJD’s vision for a progressive and responsive legal environment.

From the banking sector’s side, Omar Al Zaabi, Vice Chairman of Al Maryah Bank, commented: “By enabling judicial payments via AE Coin, we are not only streamlining access to government services but also setting a benchmark for how technology can serve the public good in a secure and future-ready manner.”

Mohammed Wassim Khayata, CEO of Al Maryah Bank, also explained, “It’s not merely a technological step; it’s about delivering advanced, secure financial experiences that reflect the UAE’s values and future vision.”

Ramez Rafiq, General Manager of IED Stablecoin, the firm behind AE Coin, believes that AE Coin was developed to be a secure, efficient, and regulatory-compliant digital payment solution tailored for the UAE. he noted, “Its adoption by such a prominent government entity marks a pivotal moment for us and the region’s evolving digital finance landscape.”

AE Coin has already been adopted by airlines, and taxi service providers in the UAE. Prior to this the Abu Dhabi transport Department and Municipalities under the Integrated Transport Center (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, Tawasul Transport, allowed passengers to use the AE Coin stablecoin. Additionally Air Arabia airline also started accepting the AED stablecoin, AE Coin, for payments such as flight booking. The airline is the first in MENA to offer a stablecoin based payment option. Users can book their flights using the AEC Wallet application developed by MBank.

Dubai Department of Finance (DOF) , the governmental entity responsible for budget and its execution also signed an MOU with UAE regulated Crypto.com to allow crypto payments for governmental fees.

This comes as the UAE Central Bank regulated AED stablecoins in the UAE, considering them as a legal form of payment.

Crypto exchange platform Tokenize Xchange which was operating from Singapore announced that it will discontinue these operations and lay off the 15 employees in the country, and is currently seeking a license in the UAE through Abu Dhabi ADGM.

The exchange was not provided with a digital payment token license by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Singapore’s Payment Services Act. This comes as Singapore cracks down on crypto licensing, as it proposed updates to its framework for digital token service providers making its more stricter in terms of compliance.

At the moment, Tokenize is moving its base of operations to Labuan, a Malaysian offshore financial centre. It is working towards acquiring a licensed entity regulated by the Labuan Financial Services Authority, with the process targeted for completion by 30 September. The exchange is also exploring expansion into the Middle East through regulatory approvals from Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the financial free zone in the UAE capital.

CEO and founder Hong Qi Yu framed the shift as a chance to consolidate international operations and grow the platform’s reach outside of Singapore. The decision to withdraw from Singapore comes a little over a year after Tokenize secured US$11.5 million in funding. At the time, it had announced plans to scale its Singapore team to 100 employees, aiming to strengthen its ability to navigate Southeast Asia’s diverse regulatory regimes.

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, the DIFC Innovation Hub, home to the first and largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, and the Dubai Land Department (DLD), have have launched Dubai PropTech Hub in the DIFC Innovation Hub, offering investors, residents, and global stakeholders a more accessible, transparent, and tech-enabled property market.

As per the press release, this is the region’s first PropTech innovation hub which will bring together the entire real estate value chain, offering a new model for collaboration, experimentation, and scalable innovation in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.

The hub will support more than 200 PropTech start-ups and scale-ups, generate more than 3,000 jobs, attract over $300 million in investment by 2030, and foster innovation and collaboration within the industry. It will provide customised licensing options, purpose-built physical workspaces, and a full suite of support programmes designed to fast-track innovation from concept to commercialisation.

It will provide access to advanced incubators, hands-on venture building, joint pilots, and a world-class regulatory and financial environment. Its offerings include bespoke initiatives such as early-stage start-up incubators and thought leadership programs aimed at helping participants stay ahead of global PropTech trends.

His Excellency Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC, stated, “This landmark initiative fast-tracks the expansion of the PropTech market in Dubai and positions the emirate as a global leader in real estate innovation. Furthermore, this initiative will build renewed momentum for investment, aligning with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033.”

His Excellency Omar Hamad BuShehab, Director General of the Dubai Land Department, affirmed that this represents a pivotal step in achieving the objectives of the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033 and further strengthening real estate excellence in the emirate. He added, “This hub is a natural extension of the Real Estate Evolution Space Initiative – ‘REES’ launched by DLD to support the innovation ecosystem and anticipate the future of the sector by harnessing technology and artificial intelligence. By encouraging start-ups and providing advanced infrastructure and incubators, we are enhancing Dubai’s global competitiveness and offering a smarter, more connected approach to real estate investment and development.”

One of the key differentiators of the Dubai PropTech Hub is its multi-stakeholder collaboration model, bringing together regulators, developers, technology companies, investors, and service providers under one roof. Founding partners include world-class developers such as Binghatti, Majid Al Futtaim, Sobha Realty, Union Properties, and critical infrastructure providers like Transguard, who are already exploring AI-powered smart building and security applications via DIFC Innovation Hub-led pilots.

Already DLD has launched its real estate tokenization project under PRYPCO.

BurjX, the UAE-born digital asset trading platform, has secured its Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of ADGM, the international financial centre of Abu Dhabi, the Capital of the UAE, for brokerage and custody activities.

BurjX becomes a fully regulated digital asset brokerage platform to offer and support trading of over 100 digital assets, setting a new standard for market access, regulatory depth, and product breadth in the region. The UAE’s cryptocurrency market is projected to generate US$395.9 million in revenue in 2025, with the user base expected to reach 3.88 million by 2026.

“We came to the UAE to build something that reflects the future of this region: regulated, trusted, and globally competitive,” said Omar Abbas, Co-Founder and CEO of BurjX, who previously co-founded NDAX, Canada’s leading crypto exchange. “Securing our FSRA license and launching with 100+ assets is proof of what’s possible when you build with conviction from the ground up. We’re not another imported platform entering the UAE. We’re a homegrown one, built here to lead globally.”

“It’s rare to see a startup go live with this level of regulatory and technical execution,” said Adam Ferris, Co-Founder and Chairman, a Harvard JD/MBA graduate who previously held key roles at Goldman Sachs. “This launch validates the strength of our infrastructure, the caliber of our team, and our ambition to position BurjX as a global player from day one.”

As part of its governance framework, BurjX has appointed Dr. Ryan Lemand to its Board. A former Binance board member and ex-Head of Risk at UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), he brings deep expertise in regulation, digital assets, and institutional finance.

BurjX makes it easy to go from dirhams to digital assets in seconds. Integrated with UAE banking rails through Zand Bank, users can instantly fund their accounts in AED and trade over 100 tokens within seconds, all under the oversight of ADGM’s world-leading virtual asset framework. As one of the region’s first true fiat-to-crypto bridges, BurjX offers frictionless access to digital markets that is secure, seamless, and proudly UAE native.

As one of the few platforms in the region licensed for both brokerage and custody, BurjX combines the strength of ADGM’s virtual asset regime with the speed of institutional-grade infrastructure. Built on NASDAQ-grade systems that process over 1 million transactions per second and secured by Fireblocks’ MPC wallet technology, BurjX offers fast execution, deep liquidity, and secure custody on a single, unified platform. From first-time traders to institutions, every transaction is backed by multi-layer governance, comprehensive insurance across hot and cold wallets, and robust regulatory oversight.

For family offices, institutions, and high-net-worth clients seeking a more bespoke experience, BurjX has launched its Private Client Division – delivering white-glove OTC services, tailored execution, dedicated relationship coverage, and access to one of the most extensive digital asset offerings in the region. Designed for sophisticated investors, it empowers them to build high-conviction, diversified portfolios with clarity, control, and confidence.

FINEXITY , a leading digital assets company based in Hamburg, providing investors with access to tokenized private markets investments under FINEXITY is set to launch its private market investment fund in UAE and has started with the appointment of Marc Dahlke as Strategic Board Advisor and Member of the Investment Committee.

As per the press release, the appointment underscores FINEXITY’s ambition to drive opportunities in private markets by further expanding its leading digital investment and distribution infrastructure across borders and enabling investors to access tokenized structured private market investments – such as real estate, private equity, infrastructure, and collectibles – through a fully digital, regulated investment platform.

Marc Dahlke brings a distinguished background in legal, strategic, and financial advisory roles. He started his career at Magic Circle law firm Freshfields LLP, before working for The Boston Consulting Group in Vienna and Dubai for eleven years, where he led, among others, the Family Office Practice Area in the Middle East. Today, he holds senior positions, such as at Sidra Capital, a Saudi-based Multi Family Office and global Asset Management & Investment firm, as well as at the venture builder Bridgemaker Gulf, where he is an active supporter of business model innovation and AI-driven ventures in the region.

“Marc’s deep roots in the Middle East and his comprehensive understanding of regional market dynamics make him an invaluable partner as we expand our footprint in the Gulf,” said Paul Huelsmann, Founder and CEO Global of FINEXITY. “His experience across family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity – combined with his strong advisory acumen – brings a strategic edge to our investment activities and partnerships in the region.”

As part of the agreement, Dahlke will provide strategic guidance to FINEXITY on financial, investment, and governance matters. He will also play a pivotal role in forging relationships with key regional stakeholders – including issuers, regulatory bodies, ministries, and distributors – as well as in assessing market expansion opportunities for the German frontrunner in tokenization, structuring, and investing of global private markets assets.

“FINEXITY’s mission to transform access to private market opportunities is perfectly aligned with the evolving investor appetite in the UAE and the Gulf region,” said Marc Dahlke. “I’m excited to support the development of innovative financial products, structured around private market investment funds, and tailored to the needs of local and international investors.”

Dahlke will join FINEXITY CEO Global Paul Huelsmann amongst others as a permanent member of the Investment Committee for both the private market funds as well as deal-by-deal listings. Additional experts will be appointed on a project-specific basis to contribute asset-class or regional expertise with FINEXITY continuing to exploring strategic relationships with select individuals on a case-by-case basis.

A new crypto court decision has come out from the Dubai Court of First, that return of crypto can be either given exactly in the amounts of crypto or in their equivalent value in cash.

In Case No. 1872/2024, the Dubai court ordered the return of specific cryptocurrency assets, namely 29 Bitcoins and 102 Ethereum, or alternatively, their cash equivalent based on market value at the time of enforcement, not at the time of breach or filing.

The case in question was a private investment arrangement between two individuals involving monthly returns on a digital asset portfolio.

Ali Dakhlallah, Amjad Ramadan, and Omar Kawis of Habib Al Mulla & Partners wrote in an article that the Defendant had induced our client to invest 29 Bitcoins and 102 Ethereum into a purported scheme offering a 2% fixed return, with the principal sum “guaranteed”. Profits exceeding that threshold were to be retained by the Defendant as consideration for their services. Critically, the agreement afforded our client the right to redeem the investment at will; an option he duly exercised.

The Defendant, however, defaulted.

The investor (plaintiff) transferred the above cryptocurrencies to the defendant under a promise of a 2% monthly return, with the capital fully guaranteed. Communication between the parties was conducted via WhatsApp, with regular updates and payments made through digital wallets.

However, the defendant abruptly ceased payments and failed to return the assets. When proceedings were initiated in early 2024, the value of the assets had climbed from AED 8 million to AED 11 million—prompting the claimant to request return of the crypto in kind.

On reviewing the case the court accepted WhatsApp correspondence and wallet transfer records as valid proof of the contractual relationship and obligations. It ruled that the agreement was enforceable despite its informal nature and digital context, further affirming that digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum are recoverable under UAE civil law.

Crucially, the judgment allows for specific performance, requiring the return of the exact same assets, not merely their value at the time of filing. But if the defendant is unable or unwilling to return the cryptocurrencies, the judgment permits compensation equivalent to the market value at the time of enforcement.

This is not the first case that the Dubai Court of First has dealt with when it comes to digital currencies. In 2024 Dubai Court of First Instance ruled recognizing the payment of salaries in cryptocurrency under employment contracts. The decision was made in reference to case number 1739 of 2024.

According to Mahmoud Abuwasel from law firm Wasel & Wasel, “This decision, rendered in case number 1739 of 2024 (Labour), represents a notable departure from a previous judgment by the same court in 2023, where a similar claim involving cryptocurrency was denied due to the employee’s failure to provide a precise valuation of the digital currency.”