RAIN Crypto broker appoints new General Manager for Bahrain

RAIN Crypto broker appoints new General Manager for Bahrain

Rain crypto broker in Bahrain has appointed a new General Manager, replacing Mohamed Ateeq, its previous GM of four years.

In an Instagram post Rain commented, “We would like to announce that after more than 4 years of exceptional service, Mohamed Ateeq will be stepping down as General Manager of Rain Bahrain. Mohamed’s loyalty and leadership were instrumental in helping Rain become the first fully licensed crypto brokerage in the Gulf, setting a foundation for crypto adoption across the region. His deep understanding of the market, dedication to innovation, and commitment to regulatory excellence have been key to Rain’s success in pioneering the industry in the Middle East.”

The new General Manager is Mr. Geoff Stecyk, who has a strong banking background.

Rain notes, “Geoff Stecyk as our new General Manager will guide Rain Bahrain through its next stage of growth and continued market leadership.”

Rain was the first crypto broker to receive a license in Bahrain. In 2023 RAIN Bahrain noted that it had traded $484 million worth of crypto since its inception in 2019 with Ethereum the most traded crypto asset followed by XRP. It also noted that its customer base at the time was 75,000 from Bahrain residents.

In May 2024, in a blog post, RAIN Crypto exchange regulated in both Bahrain and the UAE issued a statement replying to the report by ZachXBT that the exchange had likely been exploited for $14.8 million, addressing the security incident involving the exchange. They noted” We would like our customers to know that the situation has been resolved. We assure you that we have already taken all the necessary steps to address this matter to protect customer funds.”

The crypto exchange was replying to the news circulating that “It appeared the crypto exchange Rain was likely exploited for $14.8M on April 29, 2024 after their BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP wallets saw suspicious outflows. Funds were quickly transferred to instant exchanges and swapped for BTC and ETH.”

OKX to use Standard Chartered for crypto custody

OKX to use Standard Chartered for crypto custody

OKX, cryptocurrency exchange and global onchain technology company, will be utilizing Standard Chartered, cross-border bank connecting the world’s most dynamic markets, as a third-party crypto custodian for its global institutional business.

The custody agreement with Standard Chartered is a significant addition to OKX’s comprehensive suite of institutional services, which includes advanced trading capabilities, robust risk management tools and enhanced custody solutions. By leveraging Standard Chartered’s extensive global banking expertise and rigorous risk management framework, OKX aims to offer institutional investors a broader range of secure and reliable custody solutions.

OKX Global Chief Commercial Officer Lennix Lai said, “We selected Standard Chartered as an institutional custodian partner to enhance our offering and accelerate the integration of digital assets within the traditional financial ecosystem. Standard Chartered’s extensive global banking expertise and unwavering commitment to security aligns with our objective to provide exceptional crypto services and reinforces the confidence of our institutional clients in managing their digital assets.”

Standard Chartered Global Head of Financing & Securities Services Margaret Harwood-Jones said “We are committed to offering custodial services that meet the highest standards of safety and compliance. Serving as OKX’s third-party custodian allows us to extend our expertise into the evolving cryptocurrency sector, providing institutional investors with the assurance they require.”

This collaboration is expected to attract increased institutional participation in the digital asset market, contributing to a more mature environment for institutions globally. It aligns with the findings of a recently published OKX-commissioned research brief authored by Economist Impact, entitled “Digital assets as the new alternative for institutional investors: market dynamics, opportunities and challenges,” which highlights institutional investors’ view that digital assets are an inevitable institutional opportunity. The report also finds that 80% of traditional and crypto hedge funds utilizing digital assets employ third-party custodians, highlighting strong demand for segregation of duties related to trade execution and asset custody.

Prior to this announcement Brevan Howard became the first client for Standard Chartered regulated crypto custody service out of DIFC. DIFC ( Dubai International Financial center) regulator DFSA ( Dubai Financial has granted a license to Standard Chartered for its digital asset custody service in the UAE. 

UAE a source of significant amount of crypto trading for Brevan Howard

UAE a source of significant amount of crypto trading for Brevan Howard

 During the AIM Conference in Dubai, Brevan Howard a global hedge fund management fund which recently opened its offices in Abu Dhabi UAE noted that it does a significant amount of its crypto trading from the United Arab Emirates. Ryan Taylor, Group head of compliance at Brevan Howard stated that this was because of the country’s sensible regulations.

Taylor stated, “The regulators in the UAE are hard, but they want the industry to fly and so they write sensible regulations and they are prepared to talk to the industry in order to evolve those regulations.”

Taylor said that Brevan Howard’s crypto trading operations represented about $2 billion of the firm’s total strategies which he said were over $30 billion. Brevan Howard has become the first global hedge fund to have 100 employees in the United Arab Emirates.

The statements come soon after Brevan Howard became the first client for Standard Chartered regulated crypto custody service out of DIFC.

In May 2024, Standard Chartered announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) to collaborate on digital assets, including digital asset custody through its Zodia Custody entity. The now licensed service will allow clients to safekeep their Ethereum and Bitcoin cryptocurrencies as a start.

Brevan Howard Digital, the dedicated crypto and digital asset division of Brevan Howard, is confirmed as the inaugural client for the product.

During the announcement, Gautam Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of Brevan Howard Digital commented, “This is a significant win for the UAE and the wider digital asset industry. Standard Chartered’s global reputation and demonstrated commitment to this space adds a layer of credibility that is meaningful for institutional adoption. The development of the institutional infrastructure within the asset class and region supports our established business within the ADGM in its continued expansion and our ongoing efforts toward improving and reinforcing standards in the digital asset ecosystem.” 

Brevan Howard, which manages $35bn in assets, opened its Abu Dhabi office in February 2023.

Crypto.com and Bahrain BENEFIT explore digital asset payment integration

Crypto.com and Bahrain BENEFIT explore digital asset payment integration

Crypto.com and Bahrain based BENEFIT, a FinTech and electronic financial transactions services have signed an MOU ( Memorandum of Understanding) which aims at discussing combining their expertise and help expand the digital assets and fintech ecosystem in Bahrain including areas such as payment integration and prepaid card capabilities.

The companies signed an MOU at the Fintech Forward event in Bahrain on October 3, 2024.

“BENEFIT’s innovative work to develop the electronic payments space in Bahrain is impressive and we’re excited at the prospect of partnering with a company that is forward-thinking and eager to support the growth of the digital assets industry,” said Eric Anziani, President and COO of Crypto.com. “Bahrain has created an innovation friendly environment and we’re looking forward to expanding our services here.”

“We are pleased to explore this collaboration with Crypto.com as it aligns with our mission to continuously drive innovation in Bahrain’s financial services sector,” said Abdulwahed AlJanahi, Chief Executive of BENEFIT. “By leveraging our expertise in electronic financial transactions and Crypto.com’s cutting-edge capabilities in the realm of cryptocurrency, we are confident this partnership can bring added value to Bahrain’s evolving fintech landscape and support the growth of digital assets in the Kingdom.”

This comes after Crypto.com Crypto.com, the 13th largest global crypto exchange according to CoinMarketCap, received a crypto payment service provider license from the Central Bank of Bahrain allowing it to offer e-money and fiat based payment services regionally, including prepaid cards.

Revolut hires Ambareen Musa as CEO of UAE entity

Revolut hires Ambareen Musa as CEO of UAE entity

After news that Revolut whose global mission is for every person and business to do all things money — spending, saving, investing, borrowing, managing, and more — in just a few taps, had applied to the UAE’s central bank for an electronic-money institution license to offer remittance services, with the ultimate goal of securing a full banking license, similar to the one it recently obtained in the UK, and of Mubadala’s investment in Revolut, Revolut has appointed its CEO for UAE.

Ambareen Musa announced on Linkedin, that she is now the CEO of Revolut UAE. She noted, “Very excited to share that I am taking on the role of Chief Executive Officer – UAE at Revolut!” Ambareen was previously the Founder and CEO of Souqalmal, which was the first regional online comparison site for financial and non-financial consumer products.
This is not the first appointment for Revolut in UAE, the company has been hiring key roles in finance, legal, compliance, crypto, engineering, and product development in Dubai.

Founded in 2015, Revolut began as a multi-currency prepaid card and app, evolving into a financial super-app offering services from international transfers to stock trading. It now serves over 45 million personal and 500k business customers globally.

Revolut also offers its users crypto services in its mix of offerings, trading, transferring and others. It offers 210+ carefully vetted tokens
All tokens as per the website pass stringent checks before being listed. Revolut crypto offers allows users to move BTC, ETH, USDT and 30+ other tokens between their wallets.

Revolut first entered the UAE in 2022, establishing a team of 140 at the Dubai International Financial Centre. CEO Nik Storonsky has long aimed to enter the Gulf market, though licensing challenges have previously restricted UAE residents from opening accounts.

Alongside its UAE ambitions, Revolut is also eyeing neighbouring Saudi Arabia as a growth market.

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala sovereign wealth fund is expected to help Revolut secure regulatory approvals, aiding in its pursuit of a full banking license in the UAE.

Revolut has seen its valuation rise to $45bn after Mubadala, Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund acquired a stake in the company. According to the Financial Times, the deal will see Revolut founder Nik Storonsky collect a minimum of $200m.

Revolut employees sold $500m worth of shares in August with Storonsky accounting for around half of the share sale.

Mubadala was one of the investors to purchase the shares, along with DI Capital Partners, Tiger Global and Coatue, although it is not clear how many shares Mubadala purchased or the size of its stake.

GCC Electronic Government Ministerial Committee approves Qatar’s digital asset framework

GCC Electronic Government Ministerial Committee approves Qatar’s digital asset framework

During the 8th GCC eGovernment Ministerial Committee meeting held in Qatar, which discussed the launch of eGovernment Guidance Strategy (2024-2030) as well as approving the unified digital asset framework that was prepared by Qatar. The committee also reviewed the minutes of sub-committee meetings, which included discussions on joint electronic services, unified software procurement, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and digital trust services teams.

In his opening speech, HE the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali al-Mannai stressed the importance of co-operation between the GCC countries in the fields of communications and information technology, highlighting the significant impact of these efforts in achieving the shared goals of member states.

He said: “Our co-operation today reflects the depth of the friendly and long-standing ties between our countries, and our mutual commitment to enhancing integration and unifying efforts in the postal and communications sectors, which play a crucial role in developing our national economies and enhancing competitiveness at both the regional and international levels.”

The minister added: “We are confident that this meeting will contribute to strengthening co-operation between the GCC countries and will be an important step towards realizing our aspirations in building a prosperous and secure digital society. What we have achieved so far is just the beginning of a series of achievements we aim to accomplish by establishing a strong and advanced technology sector that contributes to creating new job opportunities and seeks to increase investments by adopting innovative business models and localizing the latest technological advancements.”

The committee discussed key issues on agenda, including the launch of the eGovernment Guidance Strategy (2024-2030), developed under the leadership of Bahrain, which realigns the vision, goals and work plans aimed at meeting current trends and future challenges.

This follows the completion of the previous strategy launched in 2014, which helped GCC countries achieve high rankings in the United Nations eGovernment Readiness Survey and laid the groundwork for digital transformation within the member states.

The committee has approved the unified framework for digital access for GCC countries prepared by Qatar.

It praised Saudi Arabia’s Digital Government Authority for successfully hosting the fifth edition of the GCC Digital Government Award during the second Digital Government Forum in December last year and approved a proposal to organize the award annually in the country holding the presidency.

Qatar recently announced its digital assets framework in September 2024.

GCEX licensed in UAE has launched enhanced market data feed solution

GCEX licensed in UAE has launched enhanced market data feed solution

GCEX (GCEX Group), a UAE VARA regulated digital prime brokerage renowned for providing brokers, funds and professional traders with access to deep liquidity, has announced the launch of its enhanced market data feed solution covering all supported product underliers. This expansive offering includes Equity Index CFDs, Energy CFDs, Commodity CFDs, Crypto CFDs, Spot Crypto, Spot FX and Bullion, providing clients with unrestricted access to real-time market data.

The new data feed from the firm, which is regulated as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) by VARA, allows for seamless redistribution to clients, enhancing flexibility and connectivity for brokers, hedge funds, and professional traders.

In tandem with this, GCEX has announced the release of its improved CFD product, offering market-leading spreads that set new industry standards. The enhanced CFD product offers market-leading spreads on major indices and commodities, including DAX 30 with target spread of 0.45, US 30 with target spread of 0.9 and US and UK Oil with target spread of 0.01 among many others.

“At GCEX, our mission is to empower clients with unparalleled trading solutions,” said Lars Holst, Founder and CEO of GCEX. “The release of our comprehensive market data feed and competitive CFD product is a testament to our commitment to innovation and client-centric services. We understand the critical role that timely and accurate market data together with market-leading spreads play in trading strategies, and we’re excited to provide these solutions.”

This launch marks another significant milestone in GCEX’s continuous efforts to enhance its full-service offering, which combines access to deep liquidity on digital assets and FX, alongside spot trading and conversion of digital assets, and now, unrestricted access to essential market data.

The company also offers a comprehensive range of Forex brokerage and crypto-native technology solutions under its XplorDigital suite. XplorDigital features innovative plug-and-play solutions, ‘Crypto in a Box’ and ‘Broker in a Box’ which encompass technology-agnostic platforms addressing regulation while covering regulated custody solutions, staking solutions, safety of funds, tier 1 and deep liquidity, connectivity to the biggest price makers, advanced risk management, and innovative technology partnerships.

UAE Phoenix Group launches 20 Megawatt digital asset mining facility in Canada

UAE Phoenix Group launches 20 Megawatt digital asset mining facility in Canada

Phoenix Group PLC (PHX), a leading multi-billion-dollar blockchain and crypto mining conglomerate listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), has launched 20-megawatt mining facility in St Leon, Canada to grow its data center capacity and digital asset mining. The new site will add 700PH and provide the lowest electricity price (0.039 USD) in the Phoenix Group fleet with more than 97% uptime. This significant expansion plays an important role in enhancing top and bottom-line revenue within Phoenix Group’s core businesses including data center capacity and digital asset mining.

As per the press release, the site adds to the group’s overall gigawatt-scale operational and development capacity. It is part of a long-term strategy to expand the Group’s core business, with the goal of enhancing hash rate productivity while lowering costs.

Seyed Mohammad Alizadehfard (Bijan), Co-Founder and Group CEO of Phoenix Group, commented, “Expanding and strengthening our core business presence in Canada and North America, where we see a bright, growth-oriented future is a natural extension of our ambition to be at the forefront of growth and innovation in crypto mining and associated Web 3 and blockchain development. The new capacity will benefit both our top and bottom line revenue and we anticipate further investment in business expansion over the coming months.

Strategically located to utilize local energy resources effectively, the St Leon mining site optimizes operational efficiency and sustainability and maintains Phoenix Group’s position as one of the top 4 bitcoin mining operations globally. The Group’s adaptable infrastructure approach allows Phoenix to swiftly adapt to changes in the computing landscape, exploring opportunities in both blockchain and alternative high-value computing forms.

Phoenix Group boasts a 765MW mining operation, and fuel growth through strategic partnerships and innovation.

In May 2024, Phoenix Group announced financial results for the first quarter of 2024 with a Q1 net income of $66.2 million, a growth of 166% year-on-year. As per the press release, total assets surged by 237% year-over-year, soaring to $879.3 million from $261 million. ⁠The quarter-over-quarter growth in total assets stands at 5%, while revenue experienced an 18% quarter-on-quarter increase, reaching $68.9 million.

UAE Federal government exempts virtual assets and crypto from taxation

UAE Federal government exempts virtual assets and crypto from taxation

The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) published on October 2nd 2024 the amended version of the Executive Regulation of Federal Decree Law No. 8 2017 on Value added tax and has exempted virtual assets and investment fund management.

The amendments which are implemented following the Cabinet Decision No. (100) of 2024 will be effective from November 15th 2024.

These amendments aim to enhance clarity, provide further details on key provisions and procedures, and align with earlier changes in the Decree-Law and other relevant tax legislation.

When it comes to financial services, the decree noted that the management of investment funds and the transfer and ownership of virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies as well as conversion of virtual assets will be exempt from value added taxation. The exceptions on conversion of virtual assets and transfer and ownership of virtual assets are treated as effective from 1 January 2018.

According to PWC, the UAE has defined virtual assets as digital representation of value that can be digitally traded or converted and can be used for investment purposes and does not include digital representations of fiat currencies or financial securities.

PWC notes, “Businesses dealing with virtual assets should analyze the impact of the exemption on their (retrospective) VAT position, especially in respect to their input tax recovery. Voluntary disclosures may be required to correct historic returns.

PWC adds, “In particular fund managers, funds and companies dealing with virtual assets should assess whether their services are within the scope of the VAT exemption and also analyse the impact of that on the input tax recovery.”

According to the recent report from Henley&Partners the UAE leads in this year’s crypto adoption Index, as it is listed among top 12 countries while leading when it comes to public adoption, and innovation and technology. The report notes that one of the top reasons for UAE’s crypto growth is its low-tax jurisdiction which offers an attractive environment for crypto businesses.

For example, when it came to public adoption of crypto, the UAE ranked second following only USA. It is the only Arab country in the top 12 for this year. As per the Index findings, the UAE stands out as a leading jurisdiction for crypto investors. Public interest is high, with a substantial portion of the population owning cryptocurrencies. This enthusiasm is matched by strong government support and a thriving start-up scene.

Bitcoin mining firm, Mining Grid opens showroom in UAE

Bitcoin mining firm, Mining Grid opens showroom in UAE

Mining Grid, a blockchain and Bitcoin mining solutions provider has announced the opening of its showroom in Al Quoz Dubai UAE, and its “Mining Race”. The Mining Race is a global program designed to empower the community to actively participate in the primary mining market, contributing to the decentralized blockchain network.

The platform not only offers access to mining opportunities but also fosters awareness and education about Bitcoin (BTC) and cryptocurrency adoption. The Mining Race awarded the highest achievers within its community, celebrating innovation, success, and teamwork.

Additionally, Mining Grid’s newly launched showroom in Dubai will serve as a hub for crypto enthusiasts to explore the latest technologies providing hands-on demonstrations of advanced mining equipment.

Solaiman Al-Rifai, Founder and Board Member, Mining Grid said, “Mining Grid’s initiatives, such as the Mining Race and the new showroom, are aligned with the growing movement toward widespread Bitcoin adoption and the blockchain’s potential to reshape industries. As more businesses and individuals embrace the power of decentralization, the future of finance is poised for a digital transformation.”

Rami Alsridi, Founder and CEO, Mining Grid said, “Bitcoin has grown from just a few cents to a market cap of $1.3 trillion, connecting communities worldwide. Through the Mining Race, we aim to unite the crypto community and build a stronger, decentralized future.”

This comes as other entities such as Phoenix Group, the Blockchain and bitcoin mining entity launched from the UAE.