Saudi Central Bank invests in MicroStrategy who are Big on Bitcoin

Saudi Central Bank invests in MicroStrategy who are Big on Bitcoin

Saudi Central Bank better known as SAMA in a recent SEC ( Securities and Commodities Exchange) 13F filing has disclosed that it has invested and holds 25,656 shares in MicroStrategy Inc. For those not familiar with MicroStrategy, now known as Strategy, it is an award-winning AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Business Intelligence platform trusted to deliver intelligence everywhere, on any cloud, at enterprise scale.

It is also one of the biggest buyers of Bitcoin. Its strategy has been to issue equity, debt and preferred stock to acquire the digital currency, and it has been on a buying spree. Its Bitcoin holdings have more than doubled since Sept 2024, when it held 252,200 coins. It had about 447,000 coins at the end of 2024. Now, MicroStrategy owns 568,840 bitcoins as of May 12, 2025.

Its CEO Michael Saylor in an interview on Al Arabiya encouraged countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait to purchase Bitcoin as well. In the Al Arabiya English interview with Hadley Gamble, he works to convince the globe on why Bitcoin is the center of the AI economy, and why countries including KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE as well as the rest of the world should buy Bitcoin. He then states that GCC region with its low taxation, its digital asset regulations, and its trusted banking sector could become the trusted digital asset custodians for the digital economy.

MicroStrategy states the average purchase price as $66,384.56 USD per bitcoin with a total cost of $33.139 billion USD.

Now, Saudi Central Bank, has indirectly become an investor in Bitcoin with its 25,656 Shares in MicroStrategy.

The Saudi Central Bank is not the first with exposure to Bitcoin. Prior to this Mubadala Fund of UAE invested in Bitcoin ETF with BlackRock. More recently Mubadala increased its investment in Black Rock’s Bitcoin ETF. It now holds a $408.5 million stake in IShare Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). While MGX, UAE sovereign Fund and a big investor in AI, recently invested $2 billion into Binance.

Even Bahrain based Al Abraaj Restaurants Group B.S.C. (Ticker: ABRAAJ) (“Company”), a public listed company on the Bahrain Bourse, has announced that it put Bitcoin on its balance sheet. The Group has purchased Bitcoin in partnership with U.S. based 10X Capital, becoming the first publicly traded company in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”), and the Middle East to acquire Bitcoin as a treasury asset.

While Saudi Arabia has yet to come out with its crypto regulation, it has been investing heavily in Web3 technologies, including AI, Blockchain and others. Could this be the beginning of an opening up to crypto after the United States seems to have changed its stance on the asset, or just another AI investment? It just might be both!


UAE Sovereign Fund Mubadala increases investment in Bitcoin

UAE Sovereign Fund Mubadala increases investment in Bitcoin

While the rumor mill across the crypto ecosystem over the past days speculated that countries such as Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia were investing in Bitcoin, Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, disclosed a $408.5 million stake in IShare Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in a 13F filing released on My 15th 2025.

The fund reported holding 8,726,972 shares as of March 31, 2025, an increase from 8,235,533 shares reported at the end of 2024. This increased exposure showcases the perception change regarding Bitcoin and crypto in general after President Trump has taken office.

Back at the end of 2024, UAE Mubadala, a sovereign investment fund, revealed in an SEC Filing that in late 2024 it invested $436 million worth in BlackRock’s Ishares Bitcoin Trust ETF. The disclosure was made through a 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

At the time while Mubadala’s investment in Bitcoin while not directly but through an ETF is a significant departure from the usual investments made by Sovereign funds in the Middle East and GCC region.

The UAE in particular has been showcased as having 30% of its population owning crypto. Prior to this announcement another UAE sovereign wealth fund, through one of its subsidiaries FSI ( FS Innovation) agreed with US based Marathon digital holdings, a digital asset mining company establishing and operating facilities for digital asset mining in Abu Dhabi. The initial phase consisted of two digital asset mining sites comprising 250 MW (megawatts) in Abu Dhabi UAE. Marathon Holdings will own 20% of the joint company in UAE only. The cost of the project being $406 million.

Bahrain Restaurant Group also announced investment in Bitcoin

Bahrain based Al Abraaj Restaurants Group B.S.C. (Ticker: ABRAAJ) (“Company”), a public listed company on the Bahrain Bourse, announced that it has put Bitcoin on its balance sheet. As per the news on Zawya, the Group has purchased Bitcoin in partnership with U.S. based 10X Capital, becoming the first publicly traded company in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”), and the Middle East to acquire Bitcoin as a treasury asset.

Al Abraaj has acquired an initial amount of 5 Bitcoin with plans to build on this initial purchase and begin allocating a significant portion of its corporate treasury into Bitcoin.

As per the announcement, Al Abraaj considers Bitcoin to be its reserve treasury asset. Al Abraaj is a profitable company, with 2024 EBITDA of USD $12.5 million.

Bahrain Al Abraaj Restaurants puts Bitcoin on its balance sheet

Bahrain Al Abraaj Restaurants puts Bitcoin on its balance sheet

Bahrain based Al Abraaj Restaurants Group B.S.C. (Ticker: ABRAAJ) (“Company”), a public listed company on the Bahrain Bourse, announced that it has put Bitcoin on its balance sheet. As per the news on Zawya, the Group has purchased Bitcoin in partnership with U.S. based 10X Capital, becoming the first publicly traded company in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”), and the Middle East to acquire Bitcoin as a treasury asset.

Al Abraaj has acquired an initial amount of 5 Bitcoin with plans to build on this initial purchase and begin allocating a significant portion of its corporate treasury into Bitcoin.

As per the announcement, Al Abraaj considers Bitcoin to be its reserve treasury asset. Al Abraaj is a profitable company, with 2024 EBITDA of USD $12.5 million. This move is designed to enhance the company’s asset portfolio and capitalize on emerging opportunities within the capital markets.​ Al Abraaj aims to innovate with shari’a compliant financial instruments to give the Islamic world broader exposure to Bitcoin.

The Company has partnered with 10X Capital, the NYC-based investment firm with a track record of managing treasury assets for publicly listed companies, and advising and capitalizing listed Bitcoin Treasury Companies, including most recently advising Nakamoto on its $710M financing (Nasdaq:KDLY), the largest capital raise to launch a Bitcoin Treasury Company and the largest private placement for any public bitcoin-related transaction ever. In collaboration with 10X, the Company plans to raise capital to acquire additional Bitcoin, with a goal of maximizing Bitcoin per share.

“Our initiative towards becoming a Bitcoin Treasury Company reflects our forward-thinking approach and dedication to maximizing shareholder value,” said Abdulla Isa, Chairman of the Bitcoin Treasury Committee of Al Abraaj Restaurants Group B.S.C.. “We believe that Bitcoin will play a pivotal role in the future of finance, and we are excited to be at the forefront of this transformation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. 10X is a proven leader in advising and bringing capital to listed Bitcoin Treasury Companies, and we welcome their partnership in helping us build the MicroStrategy of the Middle East.”​

“I’d like to congratulate Abdalla Isa and the team at Al Abraaj for adopting Bitcoin at the corporate treasury level, finally enabling anyone in the GCC with a brokerage account to gain Bitcoin exposure,” said Hans Thomas, CEO of 10X Capital. “Bahrain continues to be a leader in the Middle East in Bitcoin adoption, backed by a forward-thinking regulatory framework.” Mr. Thomas added, “The GCC, with a combined GDP of $2.2 trillion—larger than Canada, Russia, Italy, Brazil, Australia, South Korea, or Spain—over $6 trillion in sovereign wealth funds, and a population of just 57.6 million, has until now lacked a publicly listed Bitcoin treasury company like Strategy (Nasdaq: MSTR), Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA), or Metaplanet (Tokyo: 3350.T). That changes today with ABRAAJ’s historic Bitcoin purchase, giving investors across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman access to Bitcoin through a publicly traded stock. In fact, almost anyone in the world can buy ABRAAJ stock by registering with the Bahrain Bourse.”

Al Abraaj Restaurants Group B.S.C. will implement robust custody, portfolio risk management and governance policies to oversee its Bitcoin holdings, including by creating a Bitcoin Committee that will consist of experienced Bitcoin investors and portfolio managers and global capital markets experts. The company intends to provide regular updates to shareholders and stakeholders regarding its Bitcoin-related activities.​

Recently Michael Saylor encouraged sovereign wealth funds in GCC to invest in Bitcoin.

OSL Wealth and UAE regulated Nine Blocks Capital partner to offer BTC Market Neutral Fund

OSL Wealth and UAE regulated Nine Blocks Capital partner to offer BTC Market Neutral Fund

Hong Kong, OSL Wealth, a wealth management platform tailored for traditional investors managing crypto assets of OSL Group (HKEX: 863), has signed a distribution partnership with UAE-regulated Nine Blocks Capital Management, a regulated and institutional crypto hedge fund management and the first and only crypto hedge fund regulated by Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA).

As per the press release, through this collaboration, OSL Wealth will offer qualified investors access to UAE and Hong Kong based Nineblocks’ flagship USD Market Neutral Fund and BTC Market Neutral Fund, marking a significant milestone in the institutional adoption of digital asset investment strategies.

The partnership addresses growing demand from institutional investors seeking crypto exposure via regulated fund managers. This will enable OSL clients to generate returns on the USD/stable coin assets as well as generate yield on their Bitcoin holdings.

Nine Blocks’ market-neutral approach combines sophisticated quantitative strategies with rigorous risk management frameworks to deliver consistent returns across market cycles. The USD Market Neutral Fund enables investors to generate returns on their USD and stable coin assets. The BTC Market Neutral Fund enables long term BTC holders to generate yield on their Bitcoin assets without losing Bitcoin exposure.

Eugene Cheung, Chief Commercial Officer of OSL, emphasised the strategic importance of this partnership, “As digital assets mature into an institutional asset class, investors increasingly require sophisticated strategies that align with traditional portfolio construction principles. Nineblocks’ VARA-regulated market-neutral solutions represent exactly what discerning allocators demand – the innovation potential of crypto assets combined with institutional-grade risk management and compliance standards. This partnership enables us to provide clients with tools to navigate digital markets while maintaining their existing risk parameters.”

Henri Arslanian, Co-Founder of Nine Blocks Capital Management, commented, “We believe that many HNWIs and family office investors want to access crypto products through platforms that are regulated and institutional-grade. We are pleased to partner with OSL to deliver such products to the Hong Kong and Asian markets.”

Eric Trump reveals the stablecoin behind UAE’s $2 billion Binance investment

Eric Trump reveals the stablecoin behind UAE’s $2 billion Binance investment

Eric Trump, the son of President Donald Trump, during his participation at Token 2049 demystified the stablecoin behind the deal that was made between UAE sovereign wealth fund MGX and Binance crypto exchange. The $2 billion investment by MGX into Binance was announced earlier this year, yet the stablecoin mentioned for carrying out the deal remained a mystery.

MGX, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security advisor and a brother of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, backed not only by Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala but also G42 invested 2 percent of its 100 billion investment vehicle into the world leading crypto exchange Binance.

At Token 2049 Dubai, Eric Trump demystified it stating the the World Liberty Financial USD stablecoin (USD1) is the one that will be used for the UAE MGX Binance deal, while noting that the USD1 would integrate with the Tron network.

Trump announced that the WLF USD stablecoin (USD1) was selected as the official stablecoin for MGX’s $2 billion investment in Binance. Zach Witkoff, the Co-founder of World Liberty Financial, teased more future partnerships for the DeFi protocol, adding that the platform aimed to establish USD1 as the preferred stablecoin in the DeFi and CeFi ecosystem, and the WLF team was working really hard on getting integrations into traditional retail point of sale systems.

“We thank MGX and Binance for their trust in us,” said Witkoff, who is the son of the White House envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. “It’s only the beginning.”

Trump disclosed that Abu Dhabi’s MGX will use the USD1 stablecoin to settle a $2 billion investment into Binance in one of crypto’s largest funding deals, marking the investment firm’s first venture into the crypto space.

Trump mentioned that sending funds internationally through SWIFT was slow, costly, and complex, emphasizing that crypto [almost] made banks redundant. An analysis report published by Statrys said the average transaction time on the SWIFT payment network was 20 hours and seven minutes. Additionally, 75% of SWIFT transactions involve one or two intermediary banks, meaning that these average 1 day and 11 hours to settle. However, a USDT or USDC stablecoin transaction on Ethereum settles within two to five minutes.

“USD1 will become one of the most transparent and regulated stablecoins in the world…not only do we want to create a product in our stable point USD, one that can be sent across borders in a very seamless way, but transparency and frankly, consumer safety is paramount…”

Galaxy leads $12 million investment in UAE based Fuze

Galaxy leads $12 million investment in UAE based Fuze

Galaxy, a leader in digital assets and data center infrastructure, and e& capital, the venture capital and investment arm of globaly technology group e& lead $12.2 million Series A funding round in Fuze, the Middle East and Turkey’s fastest growing digital assets infrastructure firm.

As per the press release, the Series A investment will fuel Fuze’s regional and international expansion, accelerate product innovation and compliance, and support top-tier hiring. Fuze provides Digital Assets-as-a-Service infrastructure enabling financial institutions and businesses across MENA and Turkey to offer regulated digital assets to their clients, as well as an Over-The-Counter (OTC) trading desk. In addition, Fuze has now launched a full suite of stablecoin infrastructure products and recently announced its expansion, through FuzePay, into payments.

Mo Ali Yusuf, CEO and Co-Founder at Fuze, stated, “Strategically, Galaxy’s comprehensive digital asset capabilities and e&’s unparalleled network will fast-track our mission to enable any bank, fintech or traditional business to seamlessly integrate digital assets and accelerate regional digital asset adoption. We are seeing a huge surge in demand and we believe that in the next 12 months, every financial institution and business will leverage some type of crypto or stablecoin capability.”

Leon Marshall, CEO of Galaxy Europe, added, “We are thrilled to partner with Fuze and lead this Series A round. The Middle East is poised to become a major hub for innovation, with the UAE demonstrating a willingness to develop comprehensive regulatory frameworks for digital assets and Fuze rapidly advancing its digital assets infrastructure.”

Fuze has been championed from the beginning by Further Ventures, an ADQ-backed venture builder and investment firm. In 2023 the company raised a seed round of $14mn, the largest Seed investment in a digital assets startup in the history of the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The investment was led by Abu Dhabi-based Further Ventures, along with participation by US-based Liberty City Ventures. 

Mohamed Hamdy, Managing Partner at Further Ventures said, “This fundraising round marks an important milestone for Fuze, a company that Further Ventures backed since inception. We’re proud to welcome leading global investors – including Galaxy, e& Capital, and others – to join us on this journey. We believe Fuze is poised to become a dominant force in enabling digital asset businesses around the world.”

Harrison Lung, Group Chief Strategy Officer e&, said “With our investment in Fuze, we’re excited to align with a team that’s setting the benchmark for what a future-ready, regulated digital asset ecosystem can look like. There’s a natural synergy between Fuze and our fintech portfolio, from e& money to Wio and Careem Pay. And this investment is about backing bold companies who understand the long game, building digital assets infrastructure to supercharge the next wave of financial services innovation.”

In the last year, Fuze has processed over $2 billion in total digital assets volume through their Digital-Assets-as-a-Service platform, stablecoin infrastructure, and OTC.

Digital asset startups in Hub71 raise $100 million in 2024

Digital asset startups in Hub71 raise $100 million in 2024

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, in its 2024 Impact Report, noted that startups in the Digital Assets program raised more than $100 million. As per the report in 2024 Hub71 startups recorded $2.17 billion (AED 8.02 billion) in funding; a 44.7% year-on-year increase from $1.5 billion (AED 5.4 billion) in 2023, demonstrating strong investor confidence in Abu Dhabi’s innovation economy. Revenue generated by startups also climbed to $1.2 billion (AED 4.5 billion), up from $1 billion (AED 3.5 billion) the previous year, reflecting sustained commercial traction across priority sectors.

Much of this rapid growth was fueled by Hub71, which is driving sector-wide transformation through its specialist ecosystems. Hub71+ Digital Assets, Hub71+ ClimateTech, and the newly launched Hub71+ AI are attracting startups that are developing impactful solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Startups in the Digital Assets program alone have raised more than $100 million, while partnerships with global tech leaders like Google, NVIDIA, Solana, Hashed and AWS are accelerating innovation across Web3, AI, renewable energy, and deep tech.

During the year, Hub71 received over 3,100 applications from entrepreneurs representing more than 20 countries, highlighting the growing global appetite to build from the UAE capital. Of the 46 startups selected, approximately over 70% came from international markets, with more than half in the Seed or Series A stages. Startups from the US, UK and Germany, made up nearly 63% of Cohort 16, cementing the city’s reputation as a gateway between established tech hubs and high-growth emerging markets.

Ahmad Ali Alwan, Chief Executive Officer of Hub71, said, “Hub71 began as an ambitious idea to enable founders to build from Abu Dhabi. That idea has since grown into a thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, and partners working together to drive lasting impact. The progress captured in this report reflects the strength of our ecosystem and the trust placed in us by those who believe in Abu Dhabi’s long-term potential. As we look ahead, our focus remains on empowering founders and positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for technology and innovation.”

Hub71’s momentum mirrors Abu Dhabi’s growing status on the global startup map. According to the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, the emirate is the fastest-growing emerging startup ecosystem in MENA, with its ecosystem value rising 28% to $4.2 billion between mid-2021 and end-2023. StartupBlink’s 2024 rankings placed Abu Dhabi 6th regionally and 2nd in the UAE, reinforcing its rising global profile.

Capital access remains a central pillar of Hub71’s strategy. In 2024, capital partners deployed $65 million (AED 238 million) into its startup community. The global tech ecosystem welcomed new investors, including Princeville Capital, The Catalyst, and Golden Gate Ventures.

Meanwhile, Tech Barza, Hub71’s exclusive capital club for family offices, recorded its first startup deal and a 10% increase in membership. To unlock early-stage capital, Hub71 launched the Angel Investor Support Package empowering five new angel networks, including Falcon Valley and Qora71, to facilitate more early-stage ticket investments, thereby accelerating the growth and scalability of startups within the Abu Dhabi ecosystem.

Unlocking market access through strategic partnerships

Beyond funding, strategic partnerships remain a key pillar of Hub71’s value proposition, playing a critical role in helping startups gain traction. In 2024, startups signed 91 corporate deals with government and private sector partners worth $28 million (AED 103 million), accelerating their ability to scale and commercialize their solutions.

Programs like the Regulatory Sandbox, co-developed with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), Abu Dhabi Mobility, and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), enabled startups to pilot cutting-edge technologies in sectors such as smart mobility, digital health, food innovation, and alternative proteins.

Startup successes: Scaling impact from Abu Dhabi

In a year marked by an evolving funding environment, Hub71 startups captured investor attention with landmark raises that signal both global relevance and real-world impact. FinTech startup FlapKap, raised $34 million (AED 124.7 million) in pre-Series A funding to expand its AI-driven lending solutions across the GCC. ClimateTech pioneer 44.01 secured $37 million (AED 135.7 million) in Series A funding to scale its CO₂ mineralization technology that transforms captured emissions into rock, contributing to global decarbonization. Meanwhile, HealthTech innovator BioSapien closed a $5.5 million (AED 20 million) pre-Series A round to accelerate clinical trials of its MediChip™, a 3D-printed implant that delivers localized cancer treatment with minimal side effects.

Today, Hub71 is home to a vibrant community of founders building high-impact startups that address global challenges and unlock new markets; driven by access to capital, expert support and sector-specific expertise to attract top talent and fuel Abu Dhabi’s innovation agenda.

About Hub71:

Hub71 is Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem that enables founders to build globally enduring homegrown tech companies in any sector by providing access to global markets, a capital ecosystem, a global network of partners, and a vibrant community filled with highly skilled talent, governed by forward-thinking regulation.

Laser Digital shows support for Mantra OM Token

Laser Digital shows support for Mantra OM Token

Laser Digital, a UAE regulated crypto broker and investment manager service provider, as well as an investor in Mantra Chain, the L1 Blockchain tokenization platform, has made a statement confirming their support for Mantra OM Token after its 90 percent fall in the past 48 hours.

Laser Digital noted that it had no involvement in the recent price collapse of $OM token. They stated, ” Assertions circulating on social media that link Laser to ‘investor selling’ are factually incorrect and misleading. 3/ On-chain movements of $OM linked to Laser wallets have been flagged publicly. We want to be absolutely clear: Laser has not deposited any $OM tokens to OKX. The wallets being referenced to OKX are not Laser wallets.”

The company emphasized that they are here to help grow the ecosystems they back. They stated, ” We remain fully aligned with our counterparties, and our core $OM investment remains locked. We have zero interest in putting pressure on the token or destabilizing the project. Transparency matters. We’re proud to support innovation and responsible growth in crypto markets — and that means showing up with facts when confusion and inaccurate information arises.”

This comes after Shorooq also made a similar claim with regards to Mantra Chain and its token.

Abu Dhabi Inovartic to launch tokenized real estate investment platform with Brikyland

Abu Dhabi Inovartic to launch tokenized real estate investment platform with Brikyland

Brikyland Technologies, a blockchain-based real estate tokenization platform, and Abu Dhabi based Inovartic Investments, an innovation and technologies driven investment firm, have signed joint venture partnership aimed at jointly exploring, developing, and implementing tokenized real estate and green asset backed investment technologies in UAE. The venture is expected to roll out projects in key real estate developments and green asset backed initiatives across the UAE, with further announcements to follow in the coming months.

As per the press release, the collaboration is set to leverage blockchain, smart contract infrastructure, and digital asset frameworks to unlock new models of fractional ownership, liquidity, and transparency in the real estate and sustainable investment space. The joint venture will operate in full compliance with ADGM’s evolving regulatory environment governing virtual assets and digital finance.

The two parties seek to develop a UAE based tokenization platform for premium real estate and green assets that will enable compliant fractional ownership structures using blockchain and smart contracts. They will also work to introduce innovative investment vehicles aligned with ESG principles and sustainability mandates and collaborate with regulatory bodies to ensure alignment with national digital asset policies.

The agreement follows the UAE–Vietnam Business Forum held on April 10, 2025, at the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, where both entities reaffirmed their commitment to advancing technology cooperation. This partnership reflects that vision by strengthening cross-border collaboration in emerging technologies and green finance.

“This partnership with Brikyland Technologies is a natural extension of our vision to drive the next generation of asset backed investment solutions rooted in transparency, sustainability, and technological advancement,” said Anwar Hussein, Managing Partner and Co Founder of Inovartic Investments. “Together, we are laying the foundation for a new era of real estate investment and green asset monetization in the UAE.”

Dr. Dang Ha Lam, Founder Chairman and CEO of Brikyland Technologies, added, “Our technology is designed to make real estate and green assets more accessible and tradable. Partnering with Inovartic opens up strategic opportunities to expand our footprint in the UAE with a focus on institutional grade solutions and compliance-first innovation.”

Saif Aldarmaki Chairman and Co Founder of Inovartic Investments, also noted that the partnership reflects the share commitment to advancing cross-border innovation and sustainable investment. He notes, “By integrating Brikyland’s blockchain technology, we aim to pioneer next-generation asset-backed financial solutions that align with the UAE’s digital economy vision and deepen our commercial ties with Vietnam.”

Founding Advisor of Brikyland Technologies Dr Phillip Thai Pham (BA MIT, Dr. Standford) commented, “We welcome this strategic joint venture as a timely and progressive step that aligns with Vietnam’s commitment to fostering global partnerships in innovation and sustainable development. The collaboration between Brickyland and Inovartic reflects the spirit of cooperation highlighted during the UAE–Vietnam Business Forum. We believe this initiative will open new investment channels, create high impact technological applications, and strengthen the economic bridge between our two nations.”

Who is the culprit in Mantra Chain OM token loss

Who is the culprit in Mantra Chain OM token loss

Mantra Chain, the Layer one tokenization platform, regulated in the UAE by Dubai’s Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, has shed almost $10 billion dollars in less than 24 hours on April 13th 2025. The OM token price dropped from around $6 dollars to 0.37 in a matter of hours.

The incident reminded many of FTX, Luna, and other failed projects that were either ponzy scams or worse, but until now there are many sides to the story and many fingers assigning blame and culprit status.

So what has happened?

The Mantra Chain side of story

John Patrick Mullin, the CEO and Co-Founder of Mantra was quick to make a statement on X and LinkedIn what happened. He noted that they had determined that the $OM Token market movements were triggered by reckless force closures initiated by centralized exchanges on OM account holders.

He stated, “The timing and depth of the crash suggest that a very sudden closure of account positions was initiated without sufficient warning or notice. That this happened during low-liquidity hours on a Sunday evening UTC (early morning Asia time) points to a degree of negligence at best, or possibly intentional market positioning taken by centralized exchanges.”

He noted that Centralized exchange partners play an important role in providing liquidity to projects like ours. He explained, “We work closely with them; however they continue to exercise enormously high levels of discretion. When discretionary powers are exercised without due internal and external oversight, dislocations like what recently happened can and will occur, hurting both projects and investors alike.”

He was adamant that the dislocation was not caused by the team, or Mantra Association, or advisors or investors. He explained, “Tokens remain locked and subject to the published vesting periods. OM’s Tokenomics remain intact, as shared last week in our latest token report. Our token wallet addresses are online and visible.”

He added that in the coming hours there will be a community meeting on X to discuss the events.

Crypto exchanges side of story

The Founder and CEO of OKX sees it quite differently, on X he noted, “ It’s a big scandal to the whole crypto industry. All of the onchain unlock and deposit data is public, all major exchanges’ collateral and liquidation data can be investigated. OKX will make all of the reports ready!”

He also shared a post which noted that before the $OM token crash, 17 wallets deposited $277 million ( 43.6 million $OM) to exchanges, which is 4.5% of circulating supply. Two of those wallets are linked to Laser Digital an investor and partner of Mantra Chain.

In March 2024 MANTRA Chain raised $11 million led by UAE based Shorooq Partners with investors including Three-point capital, Forte Securities, VirtuZone, Hex Trust and GameFi Ventures

While it seems the CEO of Mantra Chain mostly blames Binance. Binance issued a statement stating that the $OM Token had experienced price volatilities and their initial findings indicate that the development are a result of cross-exchange liquidations. Since October 2024 Binance had implemented various risk control measures including reducing leverage levels with regards to $OM Token.

Additionally, since January 2025, Binance introduced a pop-up warning on the OM spot trading page to inform users of major changes in the token’s Tokenomics, particularly a significant increase in supply. That warning has now been updated to emphasize that OM’s price is subject to very high volatility.

The Community take on the Story

Being_maximus expressed what he believes is the community take on the events with $OM Token, he explained that the community believes this could be linked to a team Shake-Up: Rumors of key “Kabal team” resignations rocked investor confidence, triggering panic selling,  Tokenomics Concerns, allegations surfaced that the team controls up to 90% of the token supply, raising fears of insider selling and manipulation. A proposal for supply inflation only added fuel to the fire, and Airdrop Discontent: Community members (“Omies”) expressed frustration over poor airdrop allocations and vesting terms. OTC sales by insiders may have worsened the sell pressure.

Investors have reached out to Mantra Chain and Binance, with one stating on X “I invested $3,500,000 into your RWA token, $OM. That investment is now worth barely $200,000, a drop of over 90%. My intention was to support the future of RWAs. I conducted thorough due diligence, and the supposed partnership with a leading UAE property company was a key factor in my investment decision — a claim that gave the illusion of credibility and legitimacy.”

He added that it is clear that these funds were funneled into the pockets of the Binance and $OM Teams. As he stated,, “It’s now clear that those funds were funneled into the pockets of the Binance and $OM teams in what looks like a well orchestrated liquidity exit. Had I known that my investment would be used to subsidize insiders instead of advancing the RWA ecosystem, I never would’ve engaged with this project. If this situation is not acknowledged and addressed appropriately, I will have no choice but to escalate this through formal legal channels. My crypto legal representatives at Burwick Law will be in touch.”

The Dubai Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority take

The most important take will be that of the UAE regulator VARA given that Mantra Chain is regulated in the UAE. Lara on the Block reached out, and was advised that no comments could be made at this time as investigations are ongoing.

The whole situation reminds us of a recent spat that took place in the UAE, a few weeks back between UAE based Dohrnii Labs, and Blynex crypto exchange.

But it could also be a reminder to the sagas of FTX, when VARA had to suspend its license.