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.”

Morocco’s Bank Al Maghrib Director says crypto regulation now at Ministry of Economy to oversee adoption process

Morocco’s Bank Al Maghrib Director says crypto regulation now at Ministry of Economy to oversee adoption process

At Gitex Africa 2025, the General Director of Bank Al Maghrib, Mr. Abderrahim Bouazza noted that the crypto draft law is now at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who will then submit it to a technical committee to oversee its adoption process.

In his speech he emphasized that the technology underlying crypto assets could be utilized to develop fintech services. Bank Al Magrib had announced in 2022 that it was close to finalizing its crypto regulatory framework. Then on December 20th 2024, the Central Bank of Morocco represented by its governor Abdellatif Jouahri announced that the draft crypto bill to regulate the use of cryptocurrencies was ready. Jouahri stressed that the full draft is ready to put in place a proper regulatory framework.

Boazza was discussing Morocco’s plans to create an acquisition support fund for merchants to strengthen payment infrastructure. Bank Al Maghrib. He had noted, “Among the short-term actions to strengthen the payment infrastructure, BAM intends to set up an acquisition support fund to facilitate the acceptance of electronic payments by merchants.”

Noting that digital payment adoption among merchants remains low, he stated that the Central Bank aims to implement incentive measures to encourage their adoption of the electronic payment system.

“The Central Bank is working on implementing more attractive pricing for electronic payments by lowering interchange fees, including those for bank cards, while also considering making cash usage more restrictive in the medium term. These actions will be carried out as part of a broader strategy for the digitalization of payments and fintech development, stemming from a rigorous and thorough diagnostic,” he continued.

He also discussed the introduction of CBDC digital currency or the e-dirham which could address certain challenges in the payment sector especially when it comes to the utilization of cash, but noting that this would require alot of time.

He noted, “The success of this project would depend on how the public perceives the digital currency. It would need to be as credible and accessible as physical cash.”

Chainalysis shared an excerpt from its upcoming 2024 Geography of Cryptocurrency report covering the MENA region and noting that MENA is the seventh largest crypto market globally in 2024 with the biggest two crypto countries being Turkey and Morocco.

The Hashgraph Association and DAR Blockchain develop 44 projects in Tunisia

The Hashgraph Association and DAR Blockchain develop 44 projects in Tunisia

The Dar Blockchain and The Hashgraph Association Academic Program since its inception in 2024 has achieves strong targets to increase blockchain education in Tunisia.

In a LinkedIn post, DAR Blockchain announced that they have registered 5,000 students issued 1,200 certifications, carried out two major hackathons and developed 44 blockchain projects.

The participants in these educational courses and hackathons were not just limited to Tunisian participants but also included 11 other countries from more than 50 universities.

DAR Blockchain noted, “This program is accelerating blockchain adoption and shaping the future of Web3 in Africa. We’re just getting started.”

Tunisia witnessed its first Hedera Hackathon in January 2024. The event was a collaborative effort between Dar Blockchain, The Hashgraph Association, ESPRIT University, and SUP’COM University. The aim of the Hackathon, backed by the Hedera Network, was to boost the adoption and understanding of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in the country.

The Hedera Hackathon offered tracks that include DeFi (Decentralized Finance), revolutionizing finance with accessible and secure financial services for the Tunisian and African community, DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), reimagining organizational structures for innovative university organization management and collaboration across the country, as well as tracks on the metaverse and NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). 

In Morocco, The Hashgraph Association, is working with Agency of Digital Development to strengthen citizen services using the Hedera DLT network and Web3 technologies. It has also partnered with Moroccan UM6P Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and the investment arm of UM6P (Mohammed VI Polytechnique University), to develop entrepreneurship and accelerate science innovation and co-investment opportunities in Morocco and the wider Africa region.

Blockchain payments platform Due launches in UAE

Blockchain payments platform Due launches in UAE

Established in 2022, Due a UK based fintech startup using blockchain and stablecoin technology to reshape international payments has established a presence in the UAE. The company which provides borderless multi-currency accounts, global transfers / remittances and merchant acquiring for individuals and businesses announced on X that they were now live in the UAE. The post stated, ” We’re Live in the UAE! We’re launching Due in the UAE, making it easier than ever to send and receive AED all powered by stablecoins and local payment rails.”

As per the post Due will be offering easy deposits with effortless top-ups through local AED transfers, fast & affordable Payouts AED payments with low fees and instant settlement, and unique Local Virtual Accounts with dedicated AED account details to get paid locally.

The company built its platform on top of public blockchains, leveraging stablecoin liquidity markets across Europe, US, LatAm and Africa to enable accessible, fast, and cheap international money movements for clients around the world. Due’s platform is non-custodial.

It was founded by Robert Sargsian and Alex Popov. Robert previously worked at Revolut (largest neobank in Europe) where he was part of the Chief Revenue Officer team, leading new bets / special projects in Retail/Credit and Crypto and helping shape the company’s global Crypto strategy.

UAE regulated stablecoin environment

The UAE is the first country in MENA region to regulate stablecoins through its Central Bank. It allows AED stablecoins to be used as a legal tender, while other virtual stablecoins once regulated can be used for the purchase of virtual assets.

So far one AED stablecoin has been regulated, the AE Coin.

UAE Phoenix Group joins crypto miners in Ethiopia

UAE Phoenix Group joins crypto miners in Ethiopia

UAE based Phoenix Group PLC (ADX:PHX), has expanded its operations into the burgeoning African market with the acquisition of an 80-megawatt (MW) power purchase agreement (PPA) in Ethiopia. This landmark deal, forged in partnership with Abu Dhabi-based cybersecurity firm Data7, marks a significant step in Phoenix Group’s global diversification strategy. It secures a reliable and sustainable energy source to fuel its long-term growth and underscores a commitment to responsible digital asset infrastructure development.

The new Ethiopian site, slated for energization in Q2 2025, will dramatically enhance Phoenix Group’s operational capacity, significantly increasing the exahash rate of its rapidly expanding mining portfolio. This move solidifies Phoenix Group’s position as one of the world’s largest Bitcoin miners and reinforces its commitment to scaling operations and delivering cutting-edge, globally distributed digital asset infrastructure. Phoenix Group is poised to build on this momentum, with further announcements of new sites and increased capacity in 2025, including continued expansion in Ethiopia and a strategic entry into the South American market.

“This 80MW expansion in Ethiopia, on the heels of our North Dakota site announcement, is a powerful testament to Phoenix Group’s accelerating global momentum,” said Munaf Ali, CEO of Phoenix Group. “We are aggressively building out our mining capabilities, and this added capacity further solidifies our position as one of the world’s largest Bitcoin miners, fueling our growth trajectory as we prepare for our listing on Nasdaq. We’re not just expanding our operations; we’re strategically positioning ourselves at the forefront of a financial revolution where cryptocurrencies will play a central role in creating a more inclusive and dynamic global economy.”

Reza Nejatian, CEO of Global Mining Operations at Phoenix Group, added: “This project in Ethiopia, significantly increasing our exahash rate, is a clear signal of our ambition to not just participate in, but to lead, the global Bitcoin mining landscape. Ethiopia’s emergence as a key crypto-mining hub provides the perfect platform for our continued expansion, and this is just the first phase of our growth in the country. Our strategic partnership with Data7, enabling the deployment of the latest S21 Hydros, underscores our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to maximize efficiency and solidify our competitive advantage. And our ambitions extend beyond Africa; we’re actively preparing to launch operations in South America in 2025, further diversifying our global footprint. This is how we execute on a global scale, and this is how we build the future of decentralized finance.”

Earlier this month, UAE Phoenix Group launched its 50MW mining facility in North Dakota in the USA. Fully operational, the site will contribute an impressive addition of more than 2.7 exahashes (EH) to Phoenix’s global hash rate. This is an initial step in expanding Phoenix Group’s UAE mining capabilities and investments in the United States.

Ethiopia is a growing crypto mining Hub

Ethiopia and its local Bitcoin mining operations account for 2.5% of global hashrate. Bitcoin miner Kassa stated, “Bitcoin miners in Ethiopia now command 2.5% of the global hash-rate. If trends continue, according to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), this will more than double within one year.”

Ethan Vera, co-founder and COO of Luxor Mining, had previously noted that the EEP reports local operations already consuming 600 MW of power. By the end of 2024, that number could rise to 1 gigawatt, representing as much as 7% of the global Bitcoin network’s hashrate.

Companies like Bitmain-backed BitFuFu have acquired large mining operations in Ethiopia. In addition BIT Mining has also recently entered the Ethiopian market, acquiring a 51 MW Bitcoin mine and 17,869 mining rigs for $14.3 million. While, Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck Investment firm speaking on CNBC SquakBox noted that three new BRIC members, Argentina, UAE, and Ethiopia had begun mining Bitcoin using government resources

In November 2024, Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP), a state-owned utility, signed power purchase agreements with 25 bitcoin mining companies. These bitcoin companies are using Ethiopia’s surplus renewable energy from The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a 6,450 MW hydropower project nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, located about 30 km upstream of the border with Sudan.

UAE Hodler Investments entering Ethiopia to provide energy for data centers

UAE Hodler Investments, a UAE based investment companywhich includes in its portfolio energy, AI, and digital asset mining startups such as PermianChain, Brox Equity, NEXGEN, and others; and GCL Energy Investment, subsidiary of GCL Group (Golden Concord Group), a leading Chinese integrated energy service provider that specializes in clean energy and new energy, with diversified development of related industries, have partnered to develop a distributed energy infrastructure project to power next generation distributed compute cluster data centers that are hosting AI, Blockchain and other applications.

Ethiopia accounts for 2.5 percent of Bitcoin mining hashrate

Ethiopia accounts for 2.5 percent of Bitcoin mining hashrate

Ethiopia and its local Bitcoin mining operations now account for 2.5% of global hashrate. Bitcoin miner Kassa stated, “Bitcoin miners in Ethiopia now command 2.5% of the global hash-rate. If trends continue, according to Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), this will more than double within one year.”

Ethan Vera, co-founder and COO of Luxor Mining, had previously noted that the EEP reports local operations already consuming 600 MW of power. By year-end, that number could rise to 1 gigawatt, representing as much as 7% of the global Bitcoin network’s hashrate.

Ethiopia’s 2.5% contribution to the global Bitcoin hash rate would place it among the top five Bitcoin mining nations, joining established leaders like the United States, China, and the Czech Republic.

Companies like Bitmain-backed BitFuFu have acquired large mining operations in Ethiopia. In addition BIT Mining has also recently entered the Ethiopian market, acquiring a 51 MW Bitcoin mine and 17,869 mining rigs for $14.3 million.

Matthew Sigel, Head of Digital Assets Research at VanEck Investment firm speaking on CNBC SquakBox noted that three new BRIC members, Argentina, UAE, and Ethiopia had begun mining Bitcoin using government resources

In November 2024, Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP), a state-owned utility, signed power purchase agreements with 25 bitcoin mining companies. These bitcoin companies are using Ethiopia’s surplus renewable energy from The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a 6,450 MW hydropower project nearing completion on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia, located about 30 km upstream of the border with Sudan.

Moroccan Central Bank says crypto regulations in adoption phase

Moroccan Central Bank says crypto regulations in adoption phase

The Moroccan Central Bank’s governor Abdellatif Jouahri announced on November 26th that the digital asset/crypto regulation law has been prepared and is in the adoption phase.


The Moroccan Central Bank also known as Bank Al Maghrib worked on its crypto and digital asset’s regulation alongside the World Bank and IMF (International Monetary Fund).


Despite the lack of crypto regulations in Morocco, it is one of the fastest growing crypto markets both globally and in the MENA region. As Per Chainalysis’ Geography of Cryptocurrency report for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2024, Morocco ranked 20th worldwide for crypto adoption. In addition, Morocco received the highest crypto transaction value of MENA’s African bloc comparing it to Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia.


The report for 2024 noted, “MENA includes two countries ranked in the top 30 of the global crypto adoption indexes: Türkiye (11th) and Morocco (27th), capturing $137 billion and $12.7 billion of value received, respectively.”
The announcement was made during the High-Level Regional Symposium on Financial Stability.


Jouahri noted, “Bank Al-Maghrib has prepared, with the participation of all stakeholders and with the support of the World Bank, a draft law governing crypto assets which is currently in the adoption process.”


He also mentioned that work in CBDCs ( Central Bank Digital Currencies) and the work the Moroccan government is doing in this domain especially as CBDCs can increase financial inclusion.


He added, “We launched the MDBC project more than three years ago with the aim of anticipating and guiding the strategic choices and decisions of Bank Al-Maghrib in this area. The project also aims to strengthen our capacities and expertise on this complex and multidimensional subject.


The Central Bank of Morocco considers this a long-term undertaking, and has impact on the monetary policy and financial stability.
Earlier this year, Morocco announced its Moroccan digital 2030 strategy to continue $10.35 billion to GDP. As per the strategy, the country seeks to create 240,000 jobs in the digital sector by 2030, which it expects will contribute 100 billion dirhams ($10.36 billion dollars) to the country’s gross domestic product while increasing digital export revenues to 40 billion dirhams ($4.15 billion).
The Moroccan Agency for Digital Development (ADD) will play a central role in supporting the digitalization of public administrations according to the head of the government, while a unified digital portal will standardize administrative procedures across various stages.

Yellow Card receives crypto asset provider license in South Africa

Yellow Card receives crypto asset provider license in South Africa

As stablecoin adoption surges in Africa, with sub Saharan Africa having the highest adoption rate in the world at 9.2%, Yellow Card, Africa’s leading stablecoin infrastructure provider has just been issued a crypto asset service provider in South Africa.

Commenting on the FSCA’s decision to issue the license to Yellow Card Financial South Africa, Chris Maurice, Yellow Card’s co-founder and CEO, said, “The CASP license underscores Yellow Card’s commitment to its customers in South Africa and regulatory compliance across the continent. This achievement reflects our dedication to providing secure, compliant and transformative solutions for our customers both in South Africa and across Africa.  

In South Africa alone, the number of total users of crypto assets is estimated to amount to 5.8 million people, and stablecoins have experienced growth of 50% month over month since October 2023, displacing bitcoin as the country’s most popular cryptocurrency.  Yellow Card is excited to play a pivotal role in this financial revolution in South Africa. 

Yellow Card, which launched in South Africa in 2020, has facilitated over US$3 billion in transactions in the last several years and now operates in 20 countries across the continent. The company recently completed a US$33 million Series C financing, led by Blockchain Capital and existing investors, including Polychain Capital, Valar Ventures, Third Prime Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Block, Inc. (Square/Cash App), reflecting strong investor confidence in its mission.   

With the recent licensing and funding, the company plans to expand its B2B offerings by enhancing its stablecoin rails, upgrading infrastructure, and advancing its B2B API and Widget. These efforts will empower businesses with seamless solutions for liquidity management and their general operations. 

The UAE as well is also well on its way to growing stablecoin usage, after the Central Bank came out with the AED Stablecoin regulations, and regulations for global stablecoin usage.

African Stablecoin on and off ramp solution provider, Yellow Card raises $33 million

African Stablecoin on and off ramp solution provider, Yellow Card raises $33 million

Yellow Card (https://YellowCard.io), the first licensed Stablecoin on/off ramp on the African continent, has closed its Series C financing. The US $33 million equity financing was led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from Polychain Capital, Third Prime Ventures, Castle Island Ventures, Block, Inc., Galaxy Ventures, Blockchain Coinvestors, Hutt Capital, and Winklevoss Capital.

“This fundraise not only demonstrates our resilience, but also highlights the vital role of digital assets for businesses across Africa,” said Chris Maurice, CEO and co-founder of Yellow Card. “We are excited about the opportunities, partnerships, and journey ahead; and I’m proud to work with an incredible cohort of investors that share our vision for the industry and the continent.”

Since its launch in Nigeria in 2019, Yellow Card has established itself as a pioneering force in the industry, with operations spanning 20 African countries and over US$3 billion in transactions facilitated across the continent.

This newly secured capital will be applied to fund growth and expansion, particularly through enhancing Yellow Card’s API and widget products — the gateways for international businesses including Coinbase and Block to tap into African markets and for Pan-African companies to easily make international payments and manage their treasury via stablecoins.

Additionally, Yellow Card is developing innovative new products for the continent, strengthening its team and systems, and continuing to lead engagement with regulators across the continent.

This financing reflects the level of confidence expressed in the business by both new and existing investors.

“The future of payments lies in fast, affordable rails for everyone, powered by open networks,” said Aleks Larsen, General Partner at Blockchain Capital, the lead investor in Yellow Card’s Series C financing. “We couldn’t be more excited to back Yellow Card as they bring Africa on-chain with stablecoins.”

Yellow Card remains steadfast in its commitment to empowering the continent by making it easy for businesses of all sizes to make international payments, manage their treasury, and access hard currency liquidity via stablecoins.

Africa’s stablecoin on and off ramp platform Yellow Card to utilize Fireblocks for cross border transactions

Africa’s stablecoin on and off ramp platform Yellow Card to utilize Fireblocks for cross border transactions

Yellow Card, Africa’s stablecoin on/off ramp, has integrated with digital asset infrastructure provider Fireblocks to improve cross-border transactions for both businesses and individuals.

By utilizing Fireblocks, Yellow Card seeks to remove obstacles for global corporate treasury, in accessing African markets, by offering secure and effective on-chain solutions. This includes leveraging Fireblocks’ Wallets-as-a-Service (WaaS) which enables Yellow Card to create, manage, and secure up to 14 million multi-party computation (MPC) wallets at scale and safeguard customer assets.

“We’re excited to work with Fireblocks to enable real-world use cases for stablecoins, solving the complex challenges of international and pan-African transactions,” said Chris Maurice, CEO and co-founder of Yellow Card. “Together, we enhance how businesses around the world manage their treasury, make payments, and drive innovation across Africa.”

Fireblocks is an easy-to-use platform to create new blockchain-based products and manage day-to-day digital asset operations, having secured the transfer of over $6 trillion in digital assets. Both entities seek to tackle the complex challenges faced by multinational corporate treasuries such as regulatory compliance, currency volatility, and inefficient legacy banking systems.

“Much like the rest of the world, Africa has seen a transformative shift from traditional payment methods to alternative payments, driven by new technologies, with $100 billion worth of remittances flowing into the continent. However, cross-border payments are still encumbered by high costs, with low-value cross-border payments incurring steep fees,” said Ran Goldi, SVP Payments and Network at Fireblocks. “We are delighted to be working with Yellow Card to provide our direct custody wallets-as-a-service (WaaS), allowing them to secure their customers’ digital assets at scale.”

Yellow Card, with a presence in 20 African countries, is at the forefront of assisting organizations in handling foreign exchange (FX) risk through stablecoin transactions. By utilizing USDT, USDC, and PYUSD, the company helps businesses manage their treasury and related transactions within and beyond the continent.

This marks a pivotal moment for both companies as they pave the way for more streamlined and secure financial operations across Africa. With a shared vision of innovation and excellence, Yellow Card and Fireblocks have a common goal of transforming cross-border transactions by introducing new benefits to businesses and the economy through innovation and excellence.