20 percent of Ripple customers from MENA region

20 percent of Ripple customers from MENA region

In a recent blog post Sologenic, a Ripple partner pointed out the Ripple now boasta of 4.8 million wallets with 20 percent of its customers coming from MENA region. The information was provided by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse during the Dubai Fintech Summit.

These comments were made as Sologenic and Ripple expand their presence in the UAE and MENA region. The SOLO Wallet has successfully onboarded over 200,000 users onto the XRP Ledger. Moreover, strategic partnerships with payment ramps like Uphold and BANXA to provide global accessibility to the ledger, and recent listings on prominent exchanges in specific regions such as Bitpanda (Northern Europe), CoinDCX (India), and CoinsPh (The Philipines) underscore the platform’s unwavering commitment to delivering accessible and cutting-edge tokenization solutions. These efforts directly address the surging demand among institutional investors eager to access digital assets.

As Ripple charts its course into the heart of Dubai’s financial sector, Sologenic stands as the one-stop-shop for all things XRP within the ecosystem. Sologenic’s platform connects global financial markets with the world of cryptocurrencies, redefining digital asset trading by allowing fractional share ownership.

Sologenic’s regulated arm is deploying a platform with a hybrid model for the on-demand tokenization of assets. This platform facilitates trading between crypto and off-chain traditional assets such as stocks & ETFs. This institutional-grade offering is designed for RIA’s, brokerage houses, family offices, banks and other financial institutions looking to tokenize real-world assets for their clients.

In Ripple’s latest report in July 2023,entitled “ 2023 New Value report, Crypto Trends in Business and Beyond” which covered topics such as cryptocurrencies, tokenization, DeFi, and crypto custody, financial decision makers from MENA ( Middle East and North Africa) are more bullish than their counterparts in other regions when it comes to cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and Blockchain.

As per the report findings, 72% of finance leaders surveyed expressed increased confidence in the crypto industry over the last 6 months, the number is even higher for those in the MENA region, reaching 87%.

90% of global finance leaders anticipate big impacts on business from blockchain and digital assets in the next three years. In terms of tokenization, they see the most massive impact in public stock trading and private share trading. This was especially expressed by finance decision makers with cryptocurrency experience in MENA.

UAE HAYVN crypto trading platform processes 22,000 crypto transactions in 2023

UAE HAYVN crypto trading platform processes 22,000 crypto transactions in 2023

UAE based HAYVN Pay an AC Holding Limited Dubai, offering,  digital asset-focused financial institution delivering Trading, Custody, Asset Management and Research services has processed over 22 000 cryptocurrency transactions to date in 2023.

As per HAYVN linkedIn post, “The market demands a payment platform that is accessible, regulated, affordable and efficient.”

The post adds, “HAYVN Pay is a regulation and technology-led business. We currently meet and exceed the requirements of several payment regulators and will continue to lead the integration of cryptocurrency into the traditional payments ecosystem.”

Prior to this announcement, HAYVN announced that it had received obtained initial approval from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai. HAYVN will now undertake the in-depth process of applying for a Virtual Asset Service Provider License, in accordance with VARA requirements.

The initial approval affirms HAYVN’s commitment to strengthening its presence throughout the by ensuring firm commitment to regulatory compliance in the region, which remains a core territory for HAYVN.

At the time CEO of HAYVN, Christopher Flinos stated, “We are delighted to have met the requirements for our initial approval from VARA and look forward to being part of VARA’s regulatory framework. VARA regulation solidifies our position as the trusted cryptocurrency provider regionally. This is a core market of ours, and our regulatory strength here further supports our broader GCC business. We are proud to be a regulation-led firm, committed to upholding the highest standards of regulatory compliance, as we continue to expand our presence and contribute to the growth of the digital asset ecosystem here in the UAE.”

UAE based Blockchain payments platform WadzPay in final stages of licensing and live testing of payments solution in KSA

UAE based Blockchain payments platform WadzPay in final stages of licensing and live testing of payments solution in KSA

In a recent tweet, the Founder of WadzPay, a blockchain technology payment provider with a presence in the UAE, Anish Jain, offered an update to the community stating that WadzPay had made strides on the licensing front and are in the “final stages”. In addition he added that WPC token would be listed on a Tier1 regulated exchange in the Middle East.

As for the WadzPay product it will be ready for launch in Q3 of this fiscal year with live terminals on WadzPay soon.

Prior to this in a LinkedIn post, WadzPay announced that its blockchain enabled payments platform was now technically live for Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. The solution is intended to facilitate digital payments and creates a cashless experience in KSA.

As per the announcement, WadzPay works with large payment companies, banks, and global entities to enable virtual asset-based transaction processing and settlement.

Their private blockchain program will enable pilgrims to use mobile app-based wallets issued by an approved institution in their home country. Once the wallet is loaded before travel, the user can make purchases at the merchant POS terminals present at the various pilgrimage points. The solution is intended to facilitate digital payments and creates a cashless experience in Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims can easily get their un-spent money back after they return to their home country.

Using this platform, WadzPay allows merchants to offer improved service to international pilgrims at a fraction of the current cost.

This program will be used for issuing wallets to pilgrims and acceptance of these wallets in merchant outlets in KSA. As per WadzPay brochure, “We have partnered with a major aggregator from KSA to enable the world’s first cross-border ‘cashless’ Hajj & Umrah program”. In November 2021 WadzPay had partnered with Geidea in KSA for cashless payments. 

Gayo Aviation accepts crypto payments using UAE based HAYVN Pay

Gayo Aviation accepts crypto payments using UAE based HAYVN Pay

Swedish and UAE based Gayo aviation, a luxury travel company that offers aircraft management, consulting services, aircraft purchase and sales and flight deck services is now offering crypto payments utilizing UAE HAYVN Pay.

HAYVN Pay is a part of HAYVN, a digital asset-focused financial institution regulated in Australia (AUSTRAC), Lithuania (FNTT), Abu Dhabi (ADGM), the Cayman Islands (CIMA) and the British Virgin Islands (BVI). HAYVN Pay aims to drive cryptocurrency payment adoption by providing accessible, trusted crypto payment solutions.

Christopher Flinos, Chief Executive Officer at HAYVN said: “The interest in paying in cryptocurrency extends across all major asset industries including gold, jewellery, watches, exotic cars, boats, real estate, and handbags. HAYVN Pay aims to bring cryptocurrency payment solutions to 75% of the world’s merchants by 2024. Cryptocurrency accounts for 20% of total luxury sales in 2023. I welcome Gayo Aviation to the HAYVN Pay ecosystem and look forward to providing its customers with a safe, seamless cryptocurrency payment option.”

Ravi Dueland, Business Development Director at Gayo Aviation said: “We are proud to enable our customers with another payment method through HAYVN Pay and have already performed our first flight using HAYVN Pay. In today’s evolving new economy it’s important to provide your customers with multiple options to enable payments. We have noticed an increase in the demand for payments using digital assets and are delighted to be able to offer this to our clients through this partnership. We look forward to continuing enhancing our customers’ experiences through innovation.”

UAE Consultancy 10 Leaves accepts crypto payments

UAE Consultancy 10 Leaves accepts crypto payments

In a recent news piece, UAE based 10 Leaves consultancy firms has announced that it is accepting crypto payments.

According to the announcement, 10 Leaves, through it’s technology arm Tenl Technologies, has built up excellent capabilities in the blockchain, DeFi and crypto sectors. From fintech advisory, regulatory sandbox consulting to tokenization and legalities of smart contracts, the 10 Leaves Group is poised to advise  clients on blockchain-related implementations and regulatory licensing across DIFC, ADGM, DWTC, DMCC, Bahrain and Europe (Luxembourg and Lithuania).

“Dubai has demonstrated it’s vision by focusing on new technologies, and as a consultancy with over 17 years in the business, we aim to complement the leadership’s efforts in supporting entrepreneurs and visionaries who will shape our lives in the years and decades to come”, said Rohit Ghai, Founder of 10 Leaves. “Our crypto-related solutions will help startups and established players in this niche space to navigate nascent and complex regulatory requirements, while staying competitive and compliant.” 

“We aim to build an ecosystem of web3-related stakeholders”, added Soumen Ghosh, who has joined the 10 Leaves Group as Partner-Technology. “This includes everyone from early adopters, to startups, tech providers, investors and regulators…to encourage conversations that will lead to contributing towards making the UAE a hub in the blockchain and crypto space.”

Ripple report finds 87 percent of MENA financial decision makers confident in crypto industry

Ripple report finds 87 percent of MENA financial decision makers confident in crypto industry

In Ripple’s latest report entitled “ 2023 New Value report, Crypto Trends in Business and Beyond” which covered topics such as cryptocurrencies, tokenization, DeFi, and crypto custody, financial decision makers from MENA ( Middle East and North Africa) are more bullish than their counterparts in other regions when it comes to cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and Blockchain.

As per the report findings, 72% of finance leaders surveyed expressed increased confidence in the crypto industry over the last 6 months, the number is even higher for those in the MENA region, reaching 87%.

90% of global finance leaders anticipate big impacts on business from blockchain and digital assets in the next three years. In terms of tokenization,they see the most massive impact in public stock trading and private share trading. This was especially expressed by finance decision makers with cryptocurrency experience in MENA.

In addition, global finance decision makers predict CBDCs and stablecoins will have a massive impact across business, finance  and society. This sentiment is particularly strong among  those with cryptocurrency experience, and those based in the LATAM and MENA regions.

When the Ripple report compared these results to last year’s survey, they saw that no only do  more respondents expect significant or massive impact of digital currency on business, finance and society,but they expect this to happen within a shorter period of time.

In other words, impact from these digital currency technologies is and will continue to accelerate at a faster clip. Specifically, respondents appear particularly bullish on the overall impact of digital currencies on payments. Nearly half (46%) of all respondents think stablecoins will have the largest impact on cross-border payments, and anticipate the largest impact of CBDCs to be on consumer-to-business payments (39% of financial institutions) and cross-border payments (41% of enterprises).

Many are either somewhat or very likely to begin using cryptocurrencies, CBDCs or stablecoins in their business in the next three years, and are confident that the technologies can meet their business needs. Once again, Ripple saw that respondents in  LATAM and MENA ranked slightly higher than those in other regions, and particularly those decision makers at financial institutions who work in roles related to digital transformation, blockchain/cryptocurrency, and innovation.

Overall, Latin America (LATAM) is more bullish on enterprise and institutional use of crypto for business followed by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), then North America (NA), Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The report also noted that more financial institutions are interested in instituational DeFi due to pain points around borrowing, raising capital which many see that DeFi can help solve. In addition high interest rates currently outweight other borrowing related pain points by a pretty significant margin everywhere except in MENA, where credit approval requirements were ranked as the primary pain point.

According to the report, these findings are reflective of the current state of the global economy, and that’s reinforced when one compares these results to last year’s data when interest rates were lower, and thus ranked lower on the list at that time.

Another significant technology being looked into by financial decision makers is Decentralized digital identity (DID). The vast majority (90%) think DiD will have a significant or massive impact on Banking, Financial Services and Insurance in the next three years, especially finance leaders in LATAM and MENA.

Even those in treasury, capital markets, payments, and institutional banking are bullish on the technology as it pertains to Banking and Financial Services, falling within the 90% response rate and above for significant or massive impact. Surprisingly, finance leaders in those more traditional roles ranked slightly higher than those in innovation, which is somewhat counterintuitive.

When it came to crypto custody the report found that while a greater proportion of respondents at financial institutions (compared to their enterprise counterparts) currently use crypto custody in their business, in general across all respondents it was found that a total of 35% are currently using a custody solution and 54% plan to within the next three years. Additionally, most companies currently or planning to use crypto custody will do so via a managed custody approach outsourced to a third party.

The vast majority of global finance decision makers (upwards of 88%) believe that crypto and blockchain will have either a significant or massive impact on business, finance, and society over the next three years.

Over half of global respondents cited that they already have a cryptocurrency solution in place at their company, or are in the process of implementing one. Upwards of three-quarters indicate an openness to using or exploring other crypto technologies over the next few years (e.g. CBDCs, stablecoins,NFTs, etc.)

Despite the general positivity, uncertainty and barriers to adoption like privacy concerns, lack of clear regulation, risk management and price volatility are still present.

Cross-border payments and consumer-to-business payments are the top two most highly ranked use cases for both CBDCs and stablecoins.

Enterprises are particularly bullish on the use of NFTs for business in the metaverse and events/ticketing. Over 80% of global finance leaders are somewhat or very likely to use cryptocurrencies, CBDCs and/or stablecoins in their business in the next three years.

Ease of use is far and away the most important requirement for organizations to enable customers to pay with crypto. Faster payments/settlement times and cost savings are the biggest value propositions for incorporating crypto into cross-border payments for enterprises and payments/treasury professionals at financial institutions—regardless of region and level of familiarity with crypto.

Top reasons to hold a cryptocurrency are for use as a currency for making payments, and for use as a hedge against inflation.  Interest rates and cost-related concerns are key blockers for borrowing, raising capital, and making cross-border payments.

According to a survey of global institutional clients commissioned by BNY Mellon and conducted by Celent, 97% agree that tokenization will revolutionize asset management and be good for the industry. They also found that 88% of investors are comfortable utilizing a digital representation of currency like stablecoins or tokens.

The majority (72%) of finance decision makers expect to explore tokenization as a way to drive innovation over the next three years, especially those at financial institutions who currently have or are in the process of implementing a cryptocurrency solution at their organization.

In terms of assets that would benefit the most from tokenization 63% of respondents said online security of data, 50% said stocks.

UAE Dubai virtual asset regulator publishes its virtual asset settlements and transfers rulebook

UAE Dubai virtual asset regulator publishes its virtual asset settlements and transfers rulebook

The UAE virtual asset regulatory authority has published its new virtual asset rulebook for, the virtual assets transfer,  and settlement service.  

This comes after the Central Bank of UAE published its guidelines for AML CFT compliance for financial institutions in relations to VASPs in the UAE.

As published in the rulebook, VASPs providing VA Transfer and Settlement Services must comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements issued by the Central Bank of UAE which apply to the VASP, which pertain to the end-to-end enablement of payments, remittances and/or other related services as may be amended from time to time.

As per the transfer and settlement service rulebook document, VASPs providing VA Transfer and Settlement Services must ensure that they comply with all legal and regulatory requirements for such services, inside and outside of the UAE. VASPs must ensure at all times that any transmission or transfer, and/or settlement being undertaken is permissible and can be facilitated through, and concluded in, all jurisdictions that are relevant to that transmission or transfer, and/or settlement.

The VASPs also have to comply with the compliance and risk management rulebook. VASPs providing VA Transfer and Settlement Services must comply with all requirements with respect to AML/CFT contained in that Rulebook, including but not limited to FATF-specific compliance requirements such as the Travel Rule.

The VASPs are liable to clients for the correct transmission, transfer or settlement of virtual assets to recipients whether from VASP wallet or VA wallet. VASPs are also responsible for the functioning of VA wallets or accounts of its clients for the purposes of receiving Virtual Assets, as well as providing all routing information that is necessary for a transmission or transfer, and/or settlement to be completed when requested by the sender’s VASP.

In addition VASPs must maintain records of all client instructions for a period of eight [8] years.

With this Dubai and the UAE have now finalized the major crypto and virtual asset rulesbooks, allowing VASPs to offer  transfers, and settlements for virtual assets. 

UAE HAYVN receives VASP license from European jurisdiction

UAE HAYVN receives VASP license from European jurisdiction

UAE based HAYVN, a digital asset payment, trading, custodian service provider regulated in the UAE, Cayman Islands, Australia, British Virgin Islands, has also received a VASP ( Virtual asset service provider) license from European jurisdiction, Lithuania.

The Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) has provided HAYVN with a VASP license.

According to HAYVN, by obtaining the VASP license from the Lithuanian regulators, HAYVN is further equipped to offer its suite of services throughout Europe.

“We are delighted to have obtained the VASP license from Lithuanian regulators,” said Christopher Flinos, CEO of HAYVN. “This achievement solidifies our position as the trusted and compliant European cryptocurrency provider, enabling us to deliver innovative solutions to clients across Europe. HAYVN remains committed to upholding the highest standards of regulatory compliance and security, as we continue to expand our presence and contribute to the growth of the digital asset ecosystem globally.”

Leago Papo, Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs at HAYVN, added, “Obtaining the VASP license from Lithuanian regulators is a significant milestone. We have worked diligently to ensure that our operations adhere to the most rigorous compliance standards. This license reaffirms our commitment to maintaining regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions and showcases our dedication to building trust with our clients and regulators alike.”

Fluus founded by MENA entrepeneurs lists its token on MEXC and will soon cover India

Fluus founded by MENA entrepeneurs lists its token on MEXC and will soon cover India

FLUUS, which means money in Arabic, with founders from the MENA region, has been offering citizens in developing the countries the opportunity to receive financial freedom through the use of crypto and Blockchain, and has grown to now listing their token on MEXC global, a global cryptocurrency exchange while partnering with providers to cover India. 

According to a recent medium post by FLUUS, “The listing on MEXC Global marks a significant milestone for FLUUS, as it opens up new avenues for participants and enthusiasts to engage with their innovative ecosystem. FLUUS aims to provide seamless trading opportunities and ensure that $FLUUS is readily available to participants worldwide.”

FLUUS is a layer of consumer and developer-facing products, evolving the world’s access to web3. Developers can integrate FLUUS into their platform and give their users GLOBAL access to crypto using any payment method, including CASH and MOBILE MONEY.

In March 2023, FLUUS raised $600,000 ahead of its beta launch through Fundrs LaunchPad. FHS Capital, Base 64 and a number of angel investors participated in the raise.

Furthermore, FLUUS has integrated with top ramping providers such as Moonpay and Transak, and will soon cover more markets, including 100% coverage in India, while expanding its FLUUS Pay network to support cash-to-crypto ramping in more regions. Additionally, FLUUS’s AID3.0 product has supported over $1.2 million in aid money in Ukraine and will expand to more partners, increasing coverage and support.

FLUUS will also be launching its staking pools to create further benefits for holders in Q2 of 2023.

In the third quarter of 2023, FLUUS plans to also launch on a DEX, as well as initiate liquidity pools to enable users to earn passive income. FLUUS pay will aggregate DEX and swapping services, enabling users to trade their cryptocurrencies and tokens in a decentralized environment with the most suitable providers.

Moreover, FLUUS plans to launch its FLUUSAuth Alpha, a revolutionary product that will allow users to create their wallets using traditional SSO methods, facilitating web2 user onboarding. Additionally, FLUUS plans to increase its human capital and obtain provisional licenses to operate in more jurisdictions. T

In Q4 2023, FLUUS is focused on achieving significant milestones. This includes finalizing strategic partnerships with web3 solutions to provide global cryptocurrency access. The implementation of FLUUS DAO Governance structures will empower the community, enabling active participation in decision-making. FLUUS also aims to expand the geographical reach of the FLUUS Pay network, making it accessible to more regions, and strengthen its utility by supporting a wider range of cryptocurrencies.

Prior to this FLUUS had worked in several regions across MENA including Lebanon. Tey El Rjula, Founder of FLUUS, told LaraontheBlock,

Overall, there is a total of 49,563,636 $FLUUS tokens in circulation.

UAE YallaMarket to use Binance and IvendPay for crypto payments

UAE YallaMarket to use Binance and IvendPay for crypto payments

YallaMarket, a Dubai grocery delivery service has announced it intends to embrace crypto payments and utilized Binance Pay and IvendPay for their solution. 

Leo Dovbenko, CEO and co-founder of YallaMarket and YallaHub, commented: “YallaMarket and YallaHub are based in the UAE, a global hub of financial technology, so we couldn’t stand aside. Moreover, our product development strategy is focused on our customers’ evolving demands. Thanks to Binance and ivendPay, we will be able to stay agile, adopt new payment technologies, and focus on providing the best customer service possible.” 

Cryptocurrency payments offer many opportunities for businesses and users alike. As more merchants and consumers adopt this method of making everyday purchases, we will see continued growth and innovation in this space.

This comes after Binance onboarded international payment service ivendPay, as a global cryptocurrency payment gateway for Binance Pay – a contactless, borderless, and secure user-to-user cryptocurrency payment feature on the Binance App.

The partnership will contribute to making cryptocurrencies an even bigger part of users’ everyday life, further extending digital assets’ real-world utility and making payments easier and more accessible. Binance users can now make purchases at all locations of IvendPay’s international network with their crypto.

ivendPay is an international payment service that allows businesses to accept cryptocurrency payments through point-of-sale (POS) terminals, mobile apps, e-commerce platforms, API, and vending machines. Currently, the service operates in seven countries with some 400 active merchants, and the number of new sales points continues to grow weekly.

Pakning Luk, Binance Pay’s regional head of business development, said about the partnership: “We’re more than excited to announce ivendPay as a strategic payment partner as their solutions help both online and offline merchants make users’ payment experience seamless.”