UAE Crypto exchange partners with RAK Bank to offer localized AED trading

UAE Crypto exchange partners with RAK Bank to offer localized AED trading

UAE RAK Bank has partnered with Kraken crypto asset exchange to offer virtual assets trading in AED using their local bank account.

As regulated by the Central Bank of UAE, RAKBANK will enable Kraken, which is licensed by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), to have their UAE-based clients fund their crypto account through local fund transfers from any bank in the UAE.  Kraken was the first global exchange to have received a full license to operate a regulated virtual asset exchange platform in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).

Currently, UAE residents who trade virtual assets must use banks or foreign correspondents outside the UAE to fund their trading. As a result, they incur high foreign exchange costs and fees, experience long lead times (more than 24 hours) and are subject to overseas-jurisdiction asset governance. Through this innovative solution, UAE residents will be able to fund their account faster and at lesser costs, all while remaining within the UAE’s jurisdiction.

“We are proud to be the first UAE bank to enable Kraken, so that it can offer this solution to its UAE-resident crypto investors. This is another step towards our goal of making banking simpler and easier through innovation,” said Raheel Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer of RAKBANK. “The UAE is emerging as a global hub for the crypto and virtual assets industry. With this breakthrough solution, Kraken’s UAE-based investors will be able to transact in virtual assets transparently and efficiently through an ADGM-regulated crypto exchange that has the ability to convert between AED and crypto through UAE Central Bank-regulated banking channels. We are pleased to support the UAE’s vision of becoming a global hub for virtual assets. We believe this offering will enable a simpler, faster and cheaper solution for UAE residents.

“Kraken is one of the largest and most trusted virtual asset exchanges in the world,” said Benjamin Ampen, Managing Director for Kraken MENA. “Investors in the UAE will soon be able to directly participate and invest in the crypto market. Our solution is safer, more secure, more efficient and reduces costs. Alongside our partners at RAKBANK and under the pioneering regulatory oversight of the ADGM, we are about to make our vision of AED-denominated crypto trading in the UAE a reality.”

H.E Ahmed Jassim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) said, “We congratulate RAKBANK and Kraken on this successful partnership that showcases the thriving virtual asset ecosystem of Abu Dhabi and the trust that financial institutions have in the ADGM’s regulatory framework. Today, as an International Financial Centre, we are the leading jurisdiction in the region for the regulation of virtual asset activities and we strongly believe that this partnership is a step forward that confirms Abu Dhabi’s role as a catalyst for virtual-asset innovation”.

Qatar opens its doors to CoinMENA Crypto exchange as a regulated exchange

Qatar opens its doors to CoinMENA Crypto exchange as a regulated exchange

CoinMENA Chief Operating Officer Dina Semaan announced today on twitter that CoinMENA crypto exchange is now serving clients in Qatar. This would be the first crypto exchange to officially announce that it is serving clients in Qatar. As per her tweet, “Starting from today, CoinMENA services are now being offered in Qatar, making us the first regulated crypto exchange to be offering services in Qatar.” She adds with this expansion we now offer CoinMENA services in six Arab countries, and we continue to achieve our goals of offering the simplest and easiest method for trading crypto.” This comes after Qatar’s FIFA 2022 took on sponsors such as Crypto.com, one of the international crypto exchanges globally. It also comes after FIFA signed up AlGorand Blockchain as a sponsor and partner for their digitization plans in the sports and entertainment sector. CoinMENA was first regulated in Bahrain, and then sought regulation in UAE, and offers its services in KSA, Kuwait, Oman, and now Qatar as a regulated entity. In the press release CoinMENA confirms that it has become the first regional digital assets exchange to offer its services in Qatar, meaning that users across the Gulf state can now easily and safely invest in cryptocurrencies for the first time. Qatari citizens and residents can open accounts with CoinMENA and have access to all the features the platform has to offer, including connecting their bank accounts to their CoinMENA wallets, enabling them to deposit and withdraw funds directly and safely within minutes. Commenting in a joint statement, CoinMENA Co-Founders Dina Sam’an and Talal Tabbaa said: “We are delighted to become the first crypto exchange to offer our services in Qatar. Investors have been asking about our plans to enter the country for some time now, so this news represents a major milestone on our long-term geographic market expansion plans.” The Bahrain-headquartered firm recently became the first onshore licensed crypto exchange to introduce limit trading, enabling the CoinMENA users to set the price at which they wish to buy and sell crypto. Users in Qatar will also be able to utilize the recently added features including withdrawing USDT via the TRON network for lower fees, and earning bonus rewards when they invite their friends through CoinMENA’s referral program. “CoinMENA’s entry into Qatar is a huge step on our journey to becoming the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s preferred crypto financial services company,” said Sam’an. “Our team is constantly striving to onboard new countries and introduces new features to a wider audience.” “We are immensely proud of everything we have achieved during our first year of operations,” Tabbaa added. “However, we still have a lot to achieve, which is why we will continue to work tirelessly to deliver the best possible experience for our ever-expanding user base.”