Everything Blockchain appoints UAE leading Cryptographic researcher as Board advisor for MENA

Everything Blockchain appoints UAE leading Cryptographic researcher as Board advisor for MENA

USA Everything Blockchain Inc., (EBI), a technology company that is blending blockchain, DBMS, and Zero Trust to deliver new ways to store, manage and protect data, has appointed Dr. Najwa Araj as new board member for MENA region. This makes the total number of board members five.

Dr. Aaraj has 15 years of experience at global cybersecurity and consulting firms bringing critical industry knowledge and expertise to the company’s leadership team. A premier technical expert, Dr. Aaraj earned a Ph.D. with highest distinction in applied cryptography and embedded systems security from Princeton University.

“The addition of Dr. Aaraj to the board is another critical step forward for the direction of the company,” said Michael Hawkins, Chairman of the Board at EBI. “Her invaluable knowledge and industry experience will undoubtedly contribute to our continued growth, product development, and education of the industry on the importance of next-generation database and security solutions.”

In addition to her role at EBI, Dr. Aaraj is the Chief Researcher of the Cryptography Research Center and the Autonomous Robotics Center at the Technology Innovation Institute, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Currently, she leads the research and development of cryptographic and quantum communication technologies, as well as the advancement of autonomous robotics and self-navigating vehicles.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the EBI leadership team,” said Dr. Aaraj. “The company’s innovative approach to data storage and security is addressing major industry challenges, changing the way businesses operate. I look forward to contributing my insights to further propel EBI’s success and drive its strategic growth.”

EBI’s suite of solutions includes BuildDB, a next-generation database solution that delivers superior performance, reduced latency, zero trust, and unmatched resilience – backed by a private blockchain architecture. It provides enterprises with a new and disruptive way to store, manage and protect data even as customers deploy applications that produce and consume ever larger datasets. BuildDB is offered as a SaaS application managed in a continuous delivery model and is available for deployment from AWS Marketplace.

In April 2023 USA based Everything Blockchain Inc partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rushaid Technologies (ART) IT subsidiary of Al Rushaid Group. ART became a non-exclusive reseller of BuildDB, EBI’s next-generation database powered by a advanced private blockchain architecture that delivers superior performance, reduced latency, zero trust and unmatched resilience.

South Korea’s Blockchain gaming entity Wemade onboards UAE Game company

South Korea’s Blockchain gaming entity Wemade onboards UAE Game company

South Korea’s Blockchain, NFT, metaverse game developer and publisher WeMade  has signed onboarding agreements with several domestic and international game companies for the blockchain game platform “WEMIX Play.” One of those is a UAE game company, Project Seed, which will be working on a fantasy action role playing game RPG titled Outland Odyssey.

The game should be released in third quarter of this year.

WeMade added that WEMIX Play has currently over 100 blockchain games linked in its network.

Earlier this year WEMADE, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with KSA based Nine66, a Savvy Games Group (“Savvy”) company, to drive the development of the gaming industry in Saudi Arabia.

Furthermore, in January 2023, WEMADE announced the establishment of a subsidiary in Abu Dhabi in the UAE, another gaming hub and plans to open another branch in MENA region and work with local projects and companies.

Japanese Astar Blockchain EVM platform to set up base in UAE

Japanese Astar Blockchain EVM platform to set up base in UAE

In a recent tweet, Japan based Astar, EVM based smart contract Blockchain platform that seeks to be the future of multichain smart contracts revealed its plans to set up a base in the UAE. Astar is designed to become a hub for smart contracts on Polkadot and is backed by prominent investors that include Binance, Huobi, OKEx, Fenbushi, and others.

Sota Watanabe, Founder of Astar, stated in  recent tweet, “ My Abu Dhabi and Dubai business trip  was amazing. Met some government officials, investors and entrepreneurs here in UAE We plan to set up a local office here too. Our future is bright!”

In November 2022, Astar Blockchain Network onboarded Japan’s top mobile carrier NTT Docomo to collaborate on mass adoption of Web3 as well as its social implementation.

Then in late July 2023, Fireblocks, an enterprise-grade platform for institutional adoption of digital assets, integrated with Astar Network, an EVM and WebAssembly (Wasm) compatible smart contracts platform.  The collaboration could see more than 650 banks and institutional investors use Fireblocks’ technology to access and manage their digital assets, boosting institutional adoption of DeFi on Astar, the two platforms noted in their press release.

Japanese Nomura owned crypto custodian, Komainu first to receive full VASP license by VARA in UAE

Japanese Nomura owned crypto custodian, Komainu first to receive full VASP license by VARA in UAE

Komainu, a regulated digital asset custody provider created by Japanese investment bank Nomura, digital asset manager CoinShares and digital asset security company Ledger. has been granted a full virtual assets service provider license by Dubai’s virtual asset regulatory authority in UAE. The license was issued on August 18th 2023.

Prior to that Komainu had received in July 2022 the MVP license from VARA.

Komainu will be able to serve qualified retail and institutional clients both as a crypto asset custodian and offer custodial staking services. 

“We see tremendous opportunities to scale our business here amid a significant boom in assets driven by fund formation and exchange launches,” said Sebastian Widmann, Komainu’s Head of Strategy. “Dubai has a vibrant digital asset ecosystem and impressive talent pool, and we are proud to contribute to the growth of this innovative financial hub. Our presence and desirable regulatory status in the region marks another differentiator for us as we execute the next phase of our business.”  

Prior to this VARA had issued the first VASP license to Laser Digital Middle East FZE, the crypto arm of Japanese Nomura Holdings. Laser Digital now has a full crypto license that will allow it to offer virtual asset broker dealer and investment management services in the UAE.

Nomura owned crypto entities now have two full licenses in Dubai UAE, while others such as BitOasis has lost their active MVP operational license and are in the midst of being acquired by other players.

The UAE has been attracting crypto entities over the past two years, and is poised to be one of the leading regulated crypto hubs in the world. 

Updated August 22nd 2023

UAE’s RAK Digital Oasis partners with Human.ai to bring Blockchain AI to companies in the ecosystem

UAE’s RAK Digital Oasis partners with Human.ai to bring Blockchain AI to companies in the ecosystem

UAE based RAK Digital Assets Oasis (RAK DAO) and Blockchain AI empowered platform Humans.ai  have partnered to drive artificial intelligence innovation in the Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) UAE. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signifies the launch of an operational collaboration that will reshape AI technology within the world’s first Free Zone dedicated to global digital and virtual asset companies.

The strategic alliance aims to provide exclusive incentive packages to the first AI-focused companies establishing themselves in RAK DAO. These companies will gain access to RAK DAO’s partner ecosystem, offering services like toolkits, Dapps, tech solutions (including Humans.ai), investment opportunities, venture capital partners, banking, and licensing.

This partnership intends to create a robust blockchain framework that empowers AI companies in RAK DAO. This framework ensures secure governance and operation of AI models while maintaining transparency. Additionally, companies will tap into Humans.ai’s network, products, services, tools, and tech support to enhance operational efficiency and capabilities.

Sabin Dima, Humans.ai’s Founder and CEO, emphasized the significance of the partnership in fostering innovation, technological advancement, and economic growth. The combined expertise of Humans.ai and RAK’s visionary support will establish an ecosystem that encourages entrepreneurship and AI adoption, thereby impacting the global AI landscape.

Dr. Sameer Al Ansari, CEO of RAK DAO, underscored the partnership’s role in propelling Ras Al Khaimah to the forefront of AI technology. The collaboration will explore avenues to accelerate AI advancement, including joint Accelerators, Venture Studios, and similar initiatives that catalyze AI-driven entrepreneurship.

Humans.ai is in the UAE after partnering with UAE based blockchain consultancy studio Deca4 in Dubai.

In addition Humans.ai Blockchain for AIs introduced wrapped AI NFTs using Hedera Hashgraph blockchain network. Humans.ai’s cutting-edge Blockchain for AIs has launched its cross-chain interoperability with Hedera Hashgraph, to revolutionize the way AI NFTs are used across different platforms.

Humans.ai aims to scale the company’s innovative wrapped AI NFTs on the Hedera blockchain as a growing community of projects, applications, and ecosystem tools provide compelling reasons to choose Hedera to bring AI NFTs to the masses.

OPNX token exchange fails to pay fines of over $2 million to Dubai’s virtual asset regulator

OPNX token exchange fails to pay fines of over $2 million to Dubai’s virtual asset regulator

Further to Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority’s (VARA) previous notices dated 12 April 2023 and 27 April 2023 regarding the conduct of Open Technology Markets Ltd. known as OPNX and opnx.com, VARA has issued the following fines against OPNX including a $2,722,548 equivalent to AED 10,000,000 against OPNX for a Market Offence under Regulation VIII.A.3 of the Virtual Assets and Related Activities Regulations 2023 (Regulations)

As per VARA, this fine was issued on 2 May 2023 and remains unpaid at the time of publication of this notice. 

The VARA notice includes  $54,000 equivalent to AED 200,000 against each of the following 4 persons: OPNX founders Kyle Davies, Su Zhu and Mark Lamb and OPNX CEO Leslie Lamb.

The fines are for violations of Administrative Order No. 01/22 Relating to Regulation of Marketing, Advertising and Promotions Related to Virtual Assets, The fines were issued on 2 May 2023 and have been fully paid by the individuals in question.

All fines noted above were referred to VARA’s Grievance Committee [the Committee formed in accordance with Article 22 of Law No. (4) of 2022 Regulating Virtual Assets in the Emirate of Dubai] in accordance with due governance requirements. The Committee reviewed the referral of the grievance and determined that the enforcement actions taken be upheld in their entirety.

To date, the AED 10MM fine issued against Open Technology Markets Ltd remains unpaid, and VARA shall determine consequential actions warranted against OPNX, which may include further fines, penalties, and/or taking any actions necessary to recover payment in addition to possibly referring the matter to any law enforcement agency(ies) or competent courts.

Saudi Arabia to host first Blockchain ticketed event, the Web3 Summit Blockchain and Beyond with IR4LABS

Saudi Arabia to host first Blockchain ticketed event, the Web3 Summit Blockchain and Beyond with IR4LABS

Saudi Arabia based IR4LAB, a specialized firm in disruptive technologies such as Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence with a MENA presence is implementing the first Blockchain enabled registration and certificate of attendance solution for the inaugural Blockchain Research Institute (BRI) Web3 summit being held on October 19th at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh KSA.

IR4LAB will be utilizing its blockchain based solution DocCerts to manage registration, and certificates of attendance for the inaugural Web3 Blockchain and beyond summit organized by the globally renowned Blockchain research Institute.

The Blockchain Research Institute Middle East, with branches all around the world, is known for their yearly summits led by their partner, the legendary Dr Don Tapscott who will be flying for the first time to the Kingdom addressing C-suites audience focusing on the topics of Blockchain for Oil&Gas, Supply chain & logistics, Smart Cities, Banking &Finance and Women in Web3. Organizers plan to hold this event yearly in Riyadh.

The Saudi Arabian events industry size was valued at $6.1 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $17.6 billion by 2031. The solution implemented will offer, for the first time in the region, a blockchain registration certificate that will be granted to all attendees, be-it online or in-person.

The Web3 Summit: Blockchain and Beyond aims to bring together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to explore the advancements and potential of blockchain technology and web3. The summit will discuss five main relevant areas, all of which fall under the Saudi Vision 2030 focusing on the digital transformation which is currently happening in Saudi.

A keynote speech will be given by Dr. Don Tapscott one of the world’s leading Blockchain authors who has been vocal about the impact of technology on businesses and societies. Panels Topics will cover exploring the Use Cases of Blockchain in the Oil and Gas/Energy Market, implementing Blockchain in Supply Chain Logistics: Challenges and Best Practices, innovating Financial Services with Blockchain: Opportunities and Challenges, building the Cities of Tomorrow with Web3 Technology, and empowering Women in the Blockchain Ecosystem: Opportunities in a decentralized world.

Majd AL AFIFI Co-Founder and CEO of IR4LAB states, “Attendees and delegates to the summit will enjoy a novel event experience using blockchain technology. Our blockchain DocCerts solution will not only streamline the registration process and make it easier, simpler and more transparent but it will also grant certificates of attendance to attendees in a digital environmentally friendly fashion. We stand ready and work diligently to make blockchain a part of our everyday lives meeting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.”

Mohamed EL KANDRI Co-Founder and CTO of IR4LAB, stated, “Blockchain technology can address four significant challenges in the industry: fake tickets, ticket scalpers and bots, security and data. I think that more than ever, it is crucial for organizers and venues to understand their audience better, to tailor specific offers and to create new and more qualified leads. Blockchain registration allows organizers to issue digital tickets that are unique, tamper-proof, and traceable. Additionally, blockchain enables organizers to track the entire lifecycle of a ticket, from its creation to its redemption, which can help prevent scalping and unauthorized reselling.”

Aline Daoud, Managing Partner at the Blockchain Research Institute Middle East added “We take pride in walking the talk. We have been internationally vocal about Blockchain and the successful use cases that are being implemented around the world; with the use of DocCerts solution in our event, we are allowing our attendees to have hands-on experience on a simple yet valid blockchain implementation. We look forward to having our prominent local, regional and international speakers who will be exposing other successful use cases covering the 5 themes that the summit focuses on, all of which are part of the Saudi Vision2030”

According to a report by MarketsandMarkets, the blockchain in the event ticketing market is projected to reach $468.3 million by 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 39.3% from 2018 to 2023.

Another study by Grand View Research predicts that the global blockchain in the media, advertising, and entertainment market size will reach $1.57 billion by 2030, driven by the increasing adoption of blockchain in the ticketing industry.

The Web3 Summit Blockchain and Beyond will host 500+ delegates from the Gulf region and 70+ experts from all over the world created as a practical initiative aligned with the vision of 2030 objectives by paving the way towards Blockchain adoption under the emerging technologies umbrella set by the Kingdom’s vision.

Abu Dhabi’s ADGM grants M2 a virtual asset trading and custodian platform an FSP license

Abu Dhabi’s ADGM grants M2 a virtual asset trading and custodian platform an FSP license

Virtual asset trading and cusotial service platform M2 has been granted a Financial Services Permission (FSP) license in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). M2 is approved to operate a multilateral trading facility and offer custody services to UAE residents.

M2 will be able to offer institutional and retail clients in the UAE the ability to buy, sell and custodies virtual assets. The platform has been developed over the past year with a long-term vision to establish the highest levels of trust, security, and integrity in the emerging virtual asset class.

Subject to regulatory approval, the M2 platform is scheduled to launch later this year, offering UAE virtual asset investors the opportunity to purchase market-leading virtual assets (BTC and ETH), and benefit from institutional grade trading features in addition to having a secure on and off-ramp for fiat payments.

Stefan Kimmel, M2 CEO, said, “The M2 team is delighted to have received confirmation of the ADGM FSRA license as it represents the approval of one of the most sophisticated and respected regulators in the world. The process of obtaining the license is the first step on our journey and we will remain in close dialogue with ADGM to ensure transparency around the custody of client assets.

He added, “Over the past five years the ADGM regulatory framework has established clear rules for those operating in the virtual assets sector and M2 will uphold the highest standards to reflect their vision as the UAE continues to affirm its reputation as a global leader in this space.”

Salem Al Darei, Chief Executive Officer of ADGM Authority, commented, “We are delighted to welcome M2 to ADGM’s international virtual asset community, further solidifying ADGM’s position as a leading International Financial Centre and a catalyst for business expansion. At ADGM, our mission has always been centered around unlocking new growth opportunities and fostering investments in the virtual assets sector. This has been possible through the establishment of a robust and forward-looking regulatory framework for digital assets. By integrating companies like M2 into our ecosystem, we remain committed to enhancing Abu Dhabi’s digital asset landscape and actively supporting the diversification of our thriving economy.”

Mass lay-offs, at BitOasis with over 30 employees fired amidst acquisition negotiations with India’s CoinDCX

Mass lay-offs, at BitOasis with over 30 employees fired amidst acquisition negotiations with India’s CoinDCX

Sources in the know of BitOasis’s current conditions, some of which have been affected by the latest changes, have confirmed to LaraontheBlock that on August 15th 2023, 30-50 employees were fired from BitOasis both from their offices in Jordan as well as UAE out of a total of over 120 employees. This happens as sources confirm that BitOasis is in the midst of ongoing negotiations to be acquired by India’s CoinDCX after the UAE based crypto broker failed to receive a Full Market product license from Dubai’s virtual asset regulatory authority VARA.

Launched on April 7th, 2018, CoinDCX is a cryptocurrency exchange with its offices located in India. CoinDCX is backed by investors such as Polychain Capital, Coinbase Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and HDR Group, operator of BitMEX and Pantera Capital among others. According to recent figures from CoinMarketCap CoinDCX has a Spot Trading Volume (24h) of $2,023,145.62 and holds total assets of $103,283,813.20.

In April 2022, CoinDCX raised $135.9 million from investors led by Pantera Capital and Steadview Capital, doubling its valuation to $2.15 billion becoming the most valued crypto trading platform in India.

In parallel BitOasis was valued in 2021 at $120 million receiving total funding of $30 million in a series B round in October 2021 from Global Founders Capital, Pantera Capital, Wamda Capital, Digital Currency Group, Alameda Research, Jump Capital and NXMH.

Sources also confirm that given the tough situation at BitOasis with no financial license, the company valuation has decreased significantly from 120 million and a distressed deal is being discussed to ensure business continuity and a path towards licensing.

BitOasis’s buyout comes after its MVP Operational license was halted by Dubai’s virtual asset regulatory authority (VARA) for not meeting mandated conditions required to be satisfied within 30-60 day timeframes prior to being permitted to undertake any VARA regulated market activity, subsequent to the issuance of its License for Institutional and Qualified Retail Investors, on 12.April.2023. This meant that BitOasis had failed to meet the financial and operational conditions license obligations.

At the time BitOasis had replied that they were committed to remediate all outstanding post licensing conditions of their Operational MVP license as committed to the regulator, as well as working towards Full Market Product (FMP) licensing.  The clarification stated, “We remain committed to securing a broker-dealer license, and operating a compliant, regulated platform in and from Dubai under VARA’s supervision. Transparency has always been a key value of our business – we will continue to update our community as we address these requirements prior to applying for an FMP license.”

Given the market conditions, the high interest rate environment and low valuation multiples for public players like Coinbase, it is expected that BitOasis investors will be offered shares as part of the distressed acquisition deal.

The upcoming weeks will be the teller of all, but what is sure is that the crypto exchange ecosystem is going through a rough time not only globally but in the MENA region. With increased and stricter regulatory requirements by regulators such as Dubai’s VARA, only the strongest will survive.

Burency restarts its operations amidst tumultuous conditions

Burency restarts its operations amidst tumultuous conditions

Burency a UAE Blockchain development firm with crypto asset exchange operating out of offices in DWTC ( Dubai World Trade Center) in Dubai UAE, is restarting its operations after what it calls bad and out of control conditions. This restart is happening amidst a tumultuous conditions spurred by comments made from its previous managing Director.

So while Burency was announcing on twitter that they will be coming back soon stating, “ We are coming soon.. after bad and out of control conditions, we are back to work with great strength and passion. The Burency project is ongoing and will return better than before.”

On August 9th they stated, “ We are currently working on restarting the Burency Exchange and will notify you as soon as possible about the operating date. Full support will be provided to the project at all levels, including marketing, companies, and plans to develop the workflow and the project as a whole.”

However these comments come in parallel to a tweet by Qusai M Alsharef, former Managing Director of Burency. He writes, “Regrettably, I am writing to announce my resignation from my position “Managing Director” at Burency, effective from 2nd August 2023.” He explains the reasons stating, “The continuous violation for the accepted funding plan, coupled with unfulfilled Discussions, words and agreements to the work stakeholders came to really critical stage.  It is deeply disappointing to have encountered such unprofessional conduct, including deceptive promises and consistent violation of our established agreements. At the end, I truly wish for Burency to have an honest recovery to right and to see a responsible actions of eliminating all these highly critical issues starting from fulfilling the past.”

Historically Burency had also made announcements that were not fully backed up with real actions. In April 2020, Burency announced  that it had launched the first secured & insured crypto-currency exchange platform in Dubai, UAE which was later refuted by Nebbex.

The company while having a tech license in UAE, its crypto business is regulated in Estonia. It had stated it was seeking to be registered in the UAE but to this day has not.

In 2020 crypto advocate, John McAfee,  announced that he had joined the advisory board of Burency, but no further announcements or information was shared on this.

So it might seem that Burency wants to come out of the volcanoe stronger than ever, but its past seems to be haunting it to  present day.