UAE’s DMCC crypto center partners with US enterprise Blockchain service provider Ankr

UAE’s DMCC crypto center partners with US enterprise Blockchain service provider Ankr

In a recent announcement, UAE’s DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Center), partnered with USA based ANKR, an enterprise blockchain infrastructure and services provider. As per the partnership, they will provide support for over 550 Web3 member businesses in DMCC crypto center through development of innovative products, infrastructure and advisory incubation.

 

Ankr’s solutions will be made available to businesses within the DMCC Crypto Center, empowering them with access to a wide variety of products and services, such as application-specific blockchain engineering, node infrastructure, Web3 gaming solutions, NFT marketplace solutions, staking, and decentralized finance products. These offerings will enable businesses to fast-track their development and go to market with every resource they need to thrive in emerging Web3 ecosystems.

 

“The partnership with the Dubai Multi Commodities Center is a testament to our commitment to drive the global proliferation of blockchain technology,” said Chandler Song, Ankr’s CEO. “Dubai is a critical hub for Web3 innovation, and by providing DMCC Crypto Center member businesses with industry-leading solutions, we can cultivate the next generation of Web3 businesses, applications, and experiences that have the capacity to take industry adoption to the next billion users.”

 

DMCC Executive Chairman and CEO, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, added, “By offering a comprehensive ecosystem that enables Web3 businesses to scale efficiently and with confidence, the DMCC Crypto Centre has become home to the highest concentration of crypto and Web3 firms in the MENA region. In expanding our platform through this key collaboration with Ankr, we are further enhancing our capabilities and the value we add to Web3 entrepreneurs and multinationals alike. We look forward to working with Ankr and activating their expertise and suite of services to continue to reinforce Dubai’s status as a global Web3 hub.”

Omantel telecom operator trials next generation telco blockchain network for roaming

Omantel telecom operator trials next generation telco blockchain network for roaming

Oman’s telecom operator Omantel, and Indonesian Telkomsel has signed up to GSMA’s ebusiness network accelerator program to trial next gen telco blockchain network for roaming. The new network will speed up roaming processes, support roaming agreement negotiations and expedite billing and settlement. The trials will go live in June 2023.

The GSMA eBusiness Network is a private-permissioned industry-wide blockchain solution, launched in 2021 to support a wide range of operator business requirements and transform the wholesale roaming clearing and settlement process. It was formed following collaborative research between the GSMA and CK Hutchison Group Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Verizon and Vodafone who were the founding members of the Blockchain for Wholesale Roaming (BWR) initiative, convened by the GSMA.

Blockchain technology securely automates the complex business processes for wholesale roaming, ensuring that the interoperation between MNOs is accurate, transparent, and verified in the shortest possible time. Omantel and Telkomsel anticipate multiple benefits from using blockchain, including operational efficiency through decreased manual intervention, greater accuracy in charging, reduced billing disputes and rejections and quicker time to market for roaming products and offerings.

Talal Al Mamari, CEO, Omantel, said: “We want to lead the pack with the implementation of this revolutionary blockchain solution, which will not only automate our systems further, but also help us to optimise costs and become more efficient by reducing margins of error. In addition to the operational benefits that we expect to achieve, we foresee an improvement in customer-experience by way of fewer disputes in invoices and improved roaming services and products. It will also allow us to partner with more operators to exchange data over blockchain, thereby enabling future technology developments like 5G Standalone Roaming and the Billing and Charging Evolution. Such initiatives reflect our commitment of enriching the experience of our customers to complement our wide international roaming footprint over 200 countries with more than 700 partners.”

“As Indonesia’s leading digital telco, Telkomsel consistently reaches beyond in unlocking more potential for the country’s progress. During MWC23 in Barcelona, Telkomsel joined the GSMA eBusiness Network Accelerator program with the hope of opening opportunities for further implementation of blockchain network technology in Indonesia. By conducting a joint study and exploring blockchain technology, we can optimise our wholesale roaming clearing and settlement processes in the future. Being the first digital telco in Southeast Asia to join the initiative in 2023, Telkomsel will continue to evaluate the results of the blockchain technology trial and bring more inclusive and sustainable access to world-class connectivity in Indonesia,” said Wong Soon Nam, Chief Planning & Transformation Officer, Telkomsel.

“Blockchain technology is ideally suited to streamline the wholesale roaming clearing and settlement process. It does this by enabling the automation of business processes that are becoming increasingly complex as we enter an era of connectivity defined by 5G and IoT,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA. “We are asking our members to join the trials so they can realise the benefits of the blockchain, along with their roaming partners, and lay the foundations for Web3, with fully automated contract management, settlement and payments.”

The roaming application services offered by the GSMA eBusiness Network ensure more transparent and secure roaming operations for MNOs. The applications are built on blockchain-based automated workflows, using smart contracts to create a single-source-of-truth in roaming contract management, data clearing and financial settlement.

UAE Emirates NBD bank partners with PWC and digital asset custodian FireBlocks

UAE Emirates NBD bank partners with PWC and digital asset custodian FireBlocks

UAE Emirates NBD Bank announced on LinkedIn that it has partnered with PWC and digital asset custodian and settlement provider FireBlocks to launch its Digital Asset Lab. PWC Middle East and Fireblocks will be founding council members.

According to Emirates NBD, “This marks a new milestone in our innovation journey, and together, we look forward to shaping the Digital Asset space in the region.”

Fireblocks is an enterprise-grade platform delivering secure infrastructure for moving, storing, and issuing digital assets. The company enables businesses to easily and securely support digital assets and cryptocurrencies.

In February of 2023, Fireblocks acquired First Digital, a stablecoin and digital asset payments technology platform for $100 million.

UAE based Emirates NBD has been a strong proponent for Blockchain and digitization. Emirates NBD was one of the first banks to join the UAE blockchain enabled KYC platform.

In 2022 UAE Emirates NBD Group Chief Operating Officer Abdulla Qassem, stated, “It is only a matter of time before Blockchain technology rises to the forefront in the UAE and we begin to acknowledge crypto and digital assets as valid currencies. He made this statement during a panel session at the Global Business Forum Latin America (GBF LATAM 2022).

Could this be the beginning of crypto transactions and wallets at Emirates NBD, we will just have to wait and see.

Dubai Virtual Asset regulator CEO speaks on the current and future status of regulations at VARA

Dubai Virtual Asset regulator CEO speaks on the current and future status of regulations at VARA

During DACOM (The Digital Asset Compliance and Market Integrity Summit) hosted by Solidus Labs, a crypto-native market surveillance and risk monitoring hub tailored for digital assets, in Abu Dhabi on May 4th 2023, Dubai’s virtual asset regulator CEO stated that only 50 percent of Dubai’s legacy VASPs (those who were operating before VARA was set up) applying for license at VARA will need to be regulated. He also talked about the opportunity to launch regulation and compliance as a service for small business and entrepreneurs.

Henson Orser, CEO of Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, VARA, discussing VARA’s licensing journey with strong legal risk compliance, stated, “Currently we have three cohorts that are passing through several processes and routes to being fully licensed, the Minimum Viable product cohort that includes global operators who were with us from day one.  There are also legacy VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers), several hundred of them who have been performing virtual asset activities in Dubai before VARA came along. We are in the process of registering them and believe half of them will need regulatory licenses.” He mentions that there are also new applicants who will join the regulatory process going forward.

Orser added, “VARA is offering a nuanced approach to virtual asset regulation that does not need to define a token or coin as a security or commodity to fall into an existing framework but covers any activity in a way that affords investor protection and have compliance in such a way that we hope other global regulators would be comfortable with by design and principle.”

According to Orser, VARA is currently looking at several hundred VASPs within their ecosystem which entails a lot of compliance and risk officers, as well as general counsels and legal advisors. He mentions given the fact that there are many micro businesses and entrepreneurs there is a great opportunity for regulation and compliance as a service offering. As he states, “Regulation and compliance as a service offering will mutualize cost and leverage expertise.” 

Orser believes the most important thing is that VARA is building a hub of global financial services with innovation and technology at the cross roads of the world including within it a strong compliance risk management and legal framework which he says “ VARA will stand out as a foundational principle and will be a thriving fixture of the community.”

As for the future, Orser states that from a regulatory standpoint once there is a steady state on licensing, supervision, and enforcement for the three existing cohorts today, VARA given it is technology agnostic and a promoter of innovation, will launch a regulatory sandbox to have a framework for product development of the future.

He states that the future will include tokenization of real world assets, including real estate, as well as micro financing, royalty rights for creators and publishers, with smart contracts for movies /music, permissioned DeFi (Decentralized Finance), gaming and the metaverse. Here he sees, “A billion users will start to challenge the boundaries of title and value” and finally interoperability, transfers identity and more.

In his final words he believes that many innovators and developers are coming to Dubai because of the growth oriented environment and open minded regulator which encourages compliant operators without sacrificing core principle of investor protection, FATF Compliance and risk. Accordingly he believes, “Blockchain technology is here to stay and its applications will infiltrate more than we can imagine same goes for gaming metaverse and all things Web3.”

Abu Dhabi Masdar City and Mina Zayed Port locations for 250 Megawatt Bitcoin mining facility

Abu Dhabi Masdar City and Mina Zayed Port locations for 250 Megawatt Bitcoin mining facility

Marathon Digital Holdings in a recent press release has confirmed that the company along with Abu Dhabi based Zero Two (Registered name FS Innovation), an emerging blockchain and digital assets infrastructure development company, will be launching the two digital asset mining sites with a combined capacity of 250 Megawatts in the sustainability hub of Abu Dhabi Masdar City and the port zone of Mina Zayed by the end of 2023.

The joint entity registered in ADGM will work to accelerate the global digital economy while supporting the power grid of Abu Dhabi, JV) with the first large-scale immersion Bitcoin mining operations in the Middle East. To power the sites, Marathon and Zero Two intend to leverage excess energy in Abu Dhabi, increasing the base load and sustainability of the Abu Dhabi grid. Marathon and Zero Two will offset any non-sustainably produced electricity with clean energy certificates.

As per previous articles the equity ownership in the ADGM Entity will be 80% for Zero Two and 20% for Marathon.

To overcome desert climate environmental challenges, Marathon and Zero Two developed a custom-built immersion solution to cool the ASIC miners and implemented proprietary software to optimize their performance. The initial results of the pilot project, which include a significant reduction in the amount of maintenance required for the ASIC miners to effectively produce hash rate, indicate that operating immersion digital asset mining sites in Abu Dhabi is now feasible with the implementation of Marathon’s and Zero Two’s technological advancements.

The mining equipment and infrastructure required to build each site has already been ordered, and construction of both digital asset mining sites is currently underway. Once operational, these sites are expected to be among the most technologically advanced and energy-efficient digital asset mining operations globally. Based on the current construction schedules, both sites are expected to come online before the end of 2023, with a combined hash rate of approximately 7 EH/s.

“Our strategic alliance with Marathon marks a significant milestone for the blockchain and digital assets industry in Abu Dhabi,” said Ahmed Al Hameli, Chief Executive Officer of Zero Two. “This alliance leverages Zero Two’s regional expertise, expansive relationships, and growing blockchain infrastructure development and operational capabilities, with Marathon’s technical prowess in developing digital asset sites and innovative mining technologies. These synergies create a powerful combination and lay the groundwork for the success of this pioneering project in the Middle East. Marathon shares our commitment to actively supporting Abu Dhabi’s power grid and developing global digital assets infrastructure. We look forward to working with them on this venture.”

 

Fred Thiel, Marathon’s chairman and CEO, commented, “Our collaboration with Zero Two is a pivotal moment for Marathon and one that is consistent with our ethos of operating at the forefront of the technology curve and developing innovative technology solutions to advance the Bitcoin mining industry. For this project, our team successfully co-developed and implemented a full immersion solution, as well as developed proprietary mining software from the ground up to provide flexibility, resilience, and optimization. In Zero Two, we have found a valuable collaborator whose expertise in digital asset infrastructure development, and whose relationships in the region are an optimal complement to our team’s unique ability to build and implement innovative technologies. We look forward to working together to build the next-generation Bitcoin mining facilities in Abu Dhabi.”

UAE EnjinStarter first Web3 Launchpad globally to be initially licensed by regulator

UAE EnjinStarter first Web3 Launchpad globally to be initially licensed by regulator

UAE based EnjinStarter MENA, a web3 Launchpad and incubator, has become the first launchpad globally to receive initial approval by Dubai’s virtual asset regulatory authority.

According to the unilateral announcement, EnjinStarter will continue to undertake the in-depth process of applying for a licence, in accordance with VARA requirements.

With the Middle East and North Africa considered to be a booming Web3 market, Enjinstarter is seeking a foothold in the region as it aims to be the premier Launchpad and incubator for Web3 metaverse, gaming, and entertainment experiences.

Enjinstarter has ambitious plans to be the go-to provider for Web3 adoption in the region, including the addition of more portfolio projects focusing on impact and sustainability initiatives that complement the UAE’s commitment to climate action.

“This is an important step for Enjinstarter. Getting initial approval and continuing with our license application makes clear our commitment to achieving the highest standards of accountability and transparency in the Web3 space. We are committed to   conforming to VARA’s high standards and know this will only accelerate our growth in the Middle East and beyond,” said Prakash Somosundram, co-founder and CEO of Enjinstarter.

“Dubai has been laser-focused on establishing itself as a global hub for Web3. It continues to provide much-needed leadership in terms of regulation and innovation, especially with initiatives such as VARA’s own foray into The Sandbox. We are looking forward to getting started here and contributing to Dubai’s growing Web3 ecosystem,” added Vasseh Ahmed, Enjinstarter MENA’s managing director.

Crypto Oasis launches the Green Block initiative in commitment to Cop28 in UAE

Crypto Oasis launches the Green Block initiative in commitment to Cop28 in UAE

Crypto Oasis launched its crypto Oasis report for Q2 of 2023 announcing the Green Block initiative as part of its commitment to the UAE’s Environmentally Sustainable goals. This comes as the UAE hosts the COP28 in December 2023.

Crypto Oasis, a blockchain ecosystem fostering innovation in the UAE, has witnessed a significant growth in the blockchain crypto ecosystem in the UAE.

In its second edition of the Crypto Oasis Ecosystem report for Q2 2023, it noted that there were now over 1,800 organizations in the blockchain and crypto industry within the country with over 8,650 employees working in crypto blockchain, metaverse, and Web3 ecosystem.

The numbers are up from the ones shared in Crypto Oasis’s annual report of 2022 published in October. At that time there were 1,400 blockchain and crypto entities in the country employing 7000 people. This shows that 400 new entities registered their companies in the UAE over the past 8 months employing an extra 1,650 people in the sector.

In Crypto Oasis Q2 2023 report, native organizations made up 70.5% of total blockchain crypto entities, while in October 2022 report they stood at 66%. There has been an increase of 4.5% of native entities in just 8 months. Dubai’s DMCC is still home to the majority of blockchain and crypto entities with 600 registered companies, followed by Dubai Economic Department with 420 plus, and IFZA freezone with 200 and DIFC with 110. 

The Crypto Oasis report was published in partnership with DLT Science Foundation and Roland Berger.

To build on the successes of the past years, Crypto Oasis announced in their report the launch of a new initiative, the “Green Block”, an ecosystem for the ESG (Economic Sustainable Goals) part of Web3 to foster a sustainable future by bringing together innovators and entrepreneurs to develop and implement solutions that promote environmental sustainability and social responsibility.

The Green Block focuses on promoting, leading, and connecting this part of the industry to align with the goals of the UAE.

Saqr Ereiqat, Co-Founder of Crypto Oasis told LaraontheBlock, “We will be launching the Green Block initiative formally during the Future Blockchain Summit in Dubai being held in October. Since this is a UAE centric report and one of the primary themes of the country this year is ESG we follow suit in our report and are currently working on the Green Block initiative in Web3 for COP28.”

Blockchain technology holds particular promise in the fight against climate change for three key reasons: it can amplify voluntary carbon markets to channel billions of dollars towards green investments, facilitate the widespread adoption of parametric insurance for climate events and accelerate development of open data infrastructure necessary to help coordinate global actors.

CoinBase, Circle, and Bittrex leaving USA and heading to the MENA region

CoinBase, Circle, and Bittrex leaving USA and heading to the MENA region

The exodus of Crypto and Blockchain startups from the United States seems to be intensifying and it looks like the MENA region, and UAE are the new preferred destinations for CoinBase, Circle and Bittrex. 

Tim Draper, Founder of DFJ VC tweeted recently that Silicon Valley startups are relocating to Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

He states, “CoinBase and Gemini are moving out of the US for regulatory reasons. Dubai, London and Singapore are eating into New York’s blockchain leadership. This exodus is not good for US jobs, economy, and homelessness.”

Additionally, in the last 24 hours CoinBase announced that its CEO and Co-Founder Brian Armstrong is currently in the UAE for a series of engagements with policymakers, regulators, partners, Web3 and crypto founders as well as clients.

Armstrong is delivering a keynote address at the inaugural Dubai Fintech Summit, under the patronage of His Royal Highness, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

As per CoinBase blog, “Crypto and Web3 serve as enormous opportunities for economic and technological diversification for the UAE, and the region has the potential to be a strategic hub for CoinBase, amplifying our efforts across the world.”

The blog adds, “It further serves as a particularly strategic bridge between Asia and Europe – two of our existing focus international regions to date.”

CoinBase reiterated that it is not only working with Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) regulators to further expand the licensing and availability for CoinBase International Exchange but is also engaging with Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), a dedicated regulator for virtual assets, as they put forward a comprehensive retail framework built on the principles of economic sustainability and cross-border financial security. 

CoinBase believes that their presence in the UAE will not only expand their global footprint but also help to bring 1 billion users to crypto.  

The blog adds that the MENA region is out to be a leader in the development of a web3 ecosystem, making it an attractive location to consider investing in. The vacuum created by other notable jurisdictions means that international counterparts, such as the UAE, are racing to fill the regulatory gap.

CoinBase is not the only US Company that is looking at the UAE. It also seems Circle is interested in the region as well. The Circle team were recently present in Dubai UAE at a dinner hosted by Miriam Kiwan, the partner of Raiven Capital.

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle Internet Financial, during an interview with Bloomberg, blamed the shrunken value of the company’s stablecoin, USD Coin, on regulatory challenges in the United States and concerns about its banking system.

In addition in March 2023 the SEC sued crypto exchange Bittrex shortly after it announced it was leaving the US markets. Bittrex, announced it would no longer do business with U.S. citizens because “it’s just not economically viable for us to continue to operate in the current U.S. regulatory and economic environment.”

Stephen Stonberg, CEO of Bittrex Global crypto exchange  has stated that the UAE and Dubai are among the friendliest jurisdictions for the cryptocurrency industry. He added in a Bloomberg interview Dubai is likely to benefit from the expanding crypto market in the Middle East as local regulators increasingly accept blockchain related technologies.

Finally in a recent LinkedIn post by Ali Jamal, CEO of UAE based Cryptos Consultancy, a crypto and Blockchain licensing firm, he noted, “We at Cryptos Consultancy have been getting lots of queries from crypto and tradfi businesses about setting up Virtual Asset practices in Dubai. There is a real buzz around Dubai’s virtual assets ecosystem now that the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) regulations are out.”

So as crypto and Blockchain businesses flee the USA, the tightening regulations in the USA continue with The New York State Attorney General (NYAG) Office announcing last week that Attorney General Letitia James has proposed “landmark legislation to tighten regulations on the cryptocurrency industry to protect investors, consumers, and the broader economy.” The announcement stated, ” Attorney General James’ program bill, which proposes the strongest and most comprehensive set of regulations on cryptocurrency in the nation, would increase transparency, eliminate conflicts of interest, and impose commonsense measures to protect investors, consistent with regulations imposed on other financial services.” 

It seems that this is only the beginning and the MENA region with UAE and Bahrain at the helm will become the new crypto Silicon Valley. 

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UAE Based Blockchain entity Web3Wed carries out first wedding on the Blockchain

UAE Based Blockchain entity Web3Wed carries out first wedding on the Blockchain

UAE Based Web3Wed has carried out the first wedding on the Polygon Blockchain with NFT rings that incorporate Bitcoin. According to the press release, Web3Wed allows couples to formalize their relationships using smart contracts on the blockchain which is then updated in case of divorce.

The Blockchain marriage is not considered legal obligation though.

The first blockchain wedding marked the official launch of the Web3Wed.io platform. “The world is changing so fast, but marriages are still the same as centuries ago,” said Yury Reut, the founder, and CEO of Web3Wed.io. “Why can’t we connect people using blockchain? Co-living defeated the old matrimony system; it is a fact.”

Couples choose NFT wedding rings that symbolize their participation in the marriage. Additionally, the service can add Bitcoin to the NFT wedding ring, making it an asset for the couple that would be returned in the case of divorce to the wallet of the ring owner.

“We’re excited to offer an innovative solution to couples who are looking for a new way to formalize their relationship,” said Reut. “Our platform offers a decentralized, secure, and transparent way to record and manage marriages, making it the ideal solution for modern couples.”

The first-ever NFT engagement rings collection by Web3Wed.io will be available in June. Couples can purchase NFT wedding rings and initiate their blockchain marriage with them, while NFT engagement rings will allow them to make a beautiful proposal.

The Blockchain marriage service, Web3Wed.io, hosted the first blockchain wedding on April 28, 2023, at Bali’s K-Club, Ubud. Ilya and Elizabeth tied the knot and recorded their union in a smart contract on the Polygon blockchain.

Could this be the future of all marriage arrangements without the hassle of lawyers. 

Blockchain crypto veteren James Bernard appointed as Chief Commercial Officer at UAE’s RAK Digital Assets Oasis

Blockchain crypto veteren James Bernard appointed as Chief Commercial Officer at UAE’s RAK Digital Assets Oasis

UAE’s latest digital asset and Web3 free zone in Ras Al Khaimah, RAK DAO, has appointed James Bernard at its Chief Commercial Officer. Bernard has been working in the digital asset blockchain sector since 2015. In the UAE he worked within Dubai’s DMCC and later on as an advisor to several Web3 blockchain entities within the UAE.

James will be responsible for all commercial activities, the implementation of business strategies and the development of partnerships, supporting entrepreneurs, innovators, and businesses across new and emerging tech sectors, digital assets, and web3, metaverse, AI, NFT, DApp, AI, blockchain, tokenization as well as many others. 

He was a founding member in 2015 of the Global Blockchain Council in Dubai, and leading DMCC’s Crypto strategy, developing early proof of concepts for various Web 3.0-powered ventures including Diamond Track and Trace, and property leasing applications, while also launching crypto asset licenses and making significant contributions to regional regulatory environment.

Commenting on James’ appointment, Dr. Sameer Al Ansari, CEO of RAK Digital Assets Oasis, said: “James brings with him a wealth of experience across the web3, digital assets and future tech landscape, enabling us to develop truly ground-breaking, strategically positioned models to support these sectors and tap into the growing global tech-enabled markets. We aim to open our doors to the companies of the future in the second quarter of 2023 and at such a crucial point in our emergence as innovation-enablers, we have no doubt that James’ formidable knowledge and experience will help us reach our ambitious targets.”

James Bernard, CCO of RAK Digital Assets Oasis, said: “I am thrilled to be part of RAK Digital Assets Oasis. With our forward-leaning approach to maximizing opportunities in disruptive technologies, the free zone is committed to supporting, empowering, and partnering with global leaders, entrepreneurial talent and innovators, building transformative solutions and creating impact.”