LIV Bank in UAE launches first crypto trading campaign

LIV Bank in UAE launches first crypto trading campaign

Liv Bank, the first digital bank in UAE, and a subsidiary of Emirates NBD on its website, has launched its first crypto trading campaign in the UAE, spurring the first outright competition between UAE banking sector and crypto exchanges.

While Liv Bank announced their foray into the crypto trading arena back in March 2025, it is only now that they outrightly showcased it on their website and announced their first campaign.

Utilizing services of both Aquanow crypto exchange in the UAE, as well as Zodia Custody services, UAE Liv Bank have showcased themselves as a trusted partner to invest in crypto. UAE Liv Bank, explains how users in the UAE can trade securely with the Liv app for fees as low as 0.5% with guided modules and the security that Emirates NBD Bank brings.

In its crypto trading campaign, Liv Bank is offering every trade placed of order value USD 50 or more one entry into each of the draws. As they noted, “The more the trades, the better your chances to win! Offering prizes of 100,000 AED during the months of May and June 2025.

Users will be able to trade crypto assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Ripple and others.

According to Liv Bank they have simplified the crypto trading process. There are no seed phrases or downloading digital wallets, all users need to to is use the Liv app, As they note, “With Liv, you can begin with small denominations, learning and growing as you go through guided modules that are designed to help you make informed decisions.”

All users have to do is sign up or log in to the Liv X app, Click on the Wealth tab then simply click Apply on the Crypto tile, and fill out the requested details, and submit. Then users can start accessing all their crypto investments.

In March 2025, Liv digital bank a part of Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, announced the launch of their cryptocurrency offering within its mobile banking app – Liv X allowing users to buy sell custody and trade cryptocurrencies in partnership with Aquanow, a UAE regulated crypto asset exchange and Zodia Custody also regulated in the UAE.

At the time Liv digital bank noted that it was committed to introducing innovative products to its customers and this new cryptocurrency offering, with crypto infrastructure operated by Aquanow and custody services performed by Zodia Custody.

UAE Mantra Chain launches $108 million blockchain tokenization Fund

UAE Mantra Chain launches $108 million blockchain tokenization Fund

MANTRA Chain, a layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), today announced the launch of the MANTRA Ecosystem Fund (MEF), a $108,888,888 million investment initiative designed to accelerate the growth and adoption of projects within the MANTRA ecosystem.

As per the press release the MEF arrives after MANTRA became the first DeFi platform to successfully obtain a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), to operate as a Virtual Asset Exchange, as well as provide Broker-Dealer and Management and Investment Services. ‍

The MEF will deploy up to $108,888,888 million over the next four years to support high-potential blockchain projects around the world. The MEF will serve as a strategic growth engine, providing capital to startups alongside globally renowned investment firms.

Investment opportunities will be sourced through MANTRA’s vast partner network, including leading incubators and accelerators, and capital partners such as Laser Digital, Shorooq, Brevan Howard Digital, Valor Capital, Three Point Capital, Amber Group, Manifold, UoB Venture, DAMAC, Fuse, LVNA Capital, Forte, and many more. This extensive global reach will ensure that the MEF gains exposure to top-tier projects from around the world.

“In an era where blockchain technology is revolutionizing finance, the MEF will serve as a catalyst for groundbreaking projects that drive real-world adoption through a focus upon the tokenization of real world assets,” said John Patrick Mullin, CEO and founder of MANTRA.

“By aligning with top investors and incubators, we are opening doors for visionary founders and teams to join us in building and creating a thriving ecosystem and bringing more of the world on-chain.”

Gideon Daitz, partner at Three Point Capital, who will lead the MEF said, “Our primary mission with the MEF is to support the development of RWA tokenization globally, empowering teams with capital, network, and advice to put the world’s highest-quality assets on-chain. We are primarily focused on building out the MANTRA ecosystem, but we genuinely believe in playing a non-zero-sum game, where collaboration and a broad open-arms policy will serve our community and industry best.”

Further adding, “We are seeking to make high conviction, resource heavy developments into fewer more focused teams, ultimately fostering stronger and more ingrained ties through our diverse network of resources.”

Mantra Chain itself had previously raised $11 million led by Shorooq partners.

Amana UAE based neobroker now trades 450 cryptocurrencies

Amana UAE based neobroker now trades 450 cryptocurrencies

amana, UAE based neobroker with operations across the Middle East, has added 300 new cryptocurrencies to trade in, making the total available 450 cryptocurrencies. As per the press release this cements amana as the go-to platform for seamless digital and traditional asset trading in one powerful app.

This milestone fills a major gap: most crypto platforms focus solely on digital assets, while traditional brokers offer little to no crypto access. amana bridges both worlds, giving traders everything they need in one place—no multiple accounts required.

With 450 plus cryptocurrencies this makes the widest selection from any broker in MENA, including majors like Bitcoin or Ethereum and XRP, gaming coins like Decentraland, meme coins like the Trump coin, L1/L2s, DeFi, and many more,


“Trading crypto has never been this effortless,” said Muhammad Rasoul, CEO of amana. “With over 450 coins and a seamless all-in-one platform, we’re making it easier than ever for our customers to trade digital assets alongside stocks, forex, and commodities—all in one place, with zero hassle.”

B Capital establishes office in Qatar to support Fintech businesses

B Capital establishes office in Qatar to support Fintech businesses

B Capital today announced that it has established a new office in Doha as part of its expansion into the Middle East. A global multi-stage technology investment firm focused on enterprise, fintech, healthcare and climate sectors, B Capital plans to bring its global expertise to help advance innovation in the region. In addition, the firm will partner with Qatar Investment Authority (“QIA”), the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar, to help drive these efforts.


“B Capital has been dedicated to identifying and supporting visionary entrepreneurs across North America and Asia, and we are attracted to the Middle East as a rapidly emerging hub for innovation,” said Raj Ganguly, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of B Capital. “With our deep global expertise, particularly in AI, and our commitment to backing transformative companies, we look forward to helping the region’s most innovative businesses shape the future of technology.”

B Capital invests globally in exceptional founders and businesses driving innovation through technology. With over $8 billion in assets under management, the firm targets seed to late-stage growth technology investments. B Capital’s value-add platform, as well as its strategic partnership with The Boston Consulting Group, equips entrepreneurs with the tools and resources to scale quickly, expand into new markets and build market-leading businesses.

Saudi Arabia attracts $22.4 billion in investments for AI and Datacenters

Saudi Arabia attracts $22.4 billion in investments for AI and Datacenters

Saudi Arabia in the first two days of the LEAP 2025 conference has attracted $22.4 billion worth of investments in technology and artificial Intelligence fueling as well datacenter expansions in the country.

Datacenters grow exponentially in KSA

Datacenters for AI and other technologies has become the major cornerstone of investments in Saudi Arabia.

Examples of these investments include NEOM’s collaboration with Datavolt to invest $5 billion to build the world’s first fully sustainable AI data center with a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts in OXAGON. Not only that but Mobily telecom announced an investment of $911 million in strategic projects to develop digital infrastructure, including submarine cables and the development of data centers in Saudi Arabia.

Alfanar Company revealed an investment of $1.4 billion to develop four data centers with a capacity of 88 gigawatts, to support the growth of the digital economy and develop business solutions. While Zoom is investing $75 million to boost artificial intelligence and innovation, and to establish new data centers to support technology companies and government agencies in Saudi Arabia.

Further more, Palo Alto-based AI company SambaNova Systems announced $140 million in investments in Saudi Arabia’s AI infrastructure, partnering with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the RDIA’s National Semiconductor Hub. SambaNova CEO Rodrigo Liang announced that the company is also launching a Sovereign LLM-as-a-Service in collaboration with STC AI, offering the world’s largest open source model LAMA 405B and running other capabilities such as STC’s Enterprise GPT. Liang also announced that SambaNova will soon offer the full DeepSeek 671 billion parameter R1 model on SambaNova Cloud. The model will be made available to select customers first, before being made more widely accessible.

Saudi Arabia unveiled technology investments and strategic partnerships worth $14.9bn at the LEAP technology conference in Riyadh on February 9, marking a significant expansion of the kingdom’s artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure.

Groq also announced it would $1.5bn to establish the world’s largest AI-focused data center in the kingdom. Even Google will also launch a global cluster in Saudi Arabia to meet regional and international AI demand.

“If you look at Saudi Arabia alone and put it in the EU region, it would be the fifth-largest tech hub in Europe,” said Communications Minister Abdullah Al-Swaha, noting that the region’s digital economy has grown 73% to reach $260bn, with Saudi Arabia representing 15% of this market.

There is also a $2bn joint venture between Ālat and Lenovo to build an advanced AI and robotics-driven manufacturing and technology centre, alongside establishing Lenovo’s regional headquarters in Riyadh.

Additionally, Zoom is set to announce the launch of a dedicated data center in Saudi Arabia along with new AI-driven innovations designed to meet the needs of businesses, government entities, and individuals in the Kingdom. Setting out plans for significant investment in Saudi Arabia over the next three years, Zoom’s VP – METAP Region, said the organization is aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s rapid journey to becoming a global technology hub.

“Our presence in Saudi Arabia reflects the power of innovation, ingenuity, and collaboration,” said Mohannad AlKalash, VP – METAP Region. “Through investments in local infrastructure and the development of Arabic-language AI solutions, we are enabling businesses to thrive and lead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Together with the Kingdom, we are helping to build a future where technology fuels progress, opportunity, and sustainable growth.”

Furthermore, AMD has now opened a branch office in Riyadh to better support customers and partners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

“Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s fastest-growing technology marketplaces and Leap 2025 serves as an ideal opportunity to showcase our leading-edge technologies and innovative solutions for the HPC and Enterprise markets”, said Zaid Ghattas, META Regional Lead, AMD. “Establishing an official presence in the Kingdom underlines the growing importance of the Kingdom and we are excited about the opportunities this will bring”.

DeepSeek enters KSA

Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has begun operating through Aramco Digital’s data centres in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, marking another significant development in the kingdom’s expanding AI infrastructure, company officials announced on February 9 at the conference.

“The data is stored locally and never transferred elsewhere once used,” said Tariq Amin, former CEO of Aramco Digital, during his conference address in Riyadh. “We anticipated the world’s need for proper AI model inference and operations, particularly with DeepSeek,” he added.

The announcement comes as DeepSeek, has expanded into Saudi Arabia through Aramco Digital’s facilities.

Prince Alwaleed KBW ventures to invest 30% in MENA

In an interview with AGBI magazine, Saudi investor Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed’s KBW Ventures which historically has invested 90 percent of its funds in US companies is now keen to invest closer to home, according to its chief investment officer. CIO Ekta Tolani says KBW Ventures now wants to invest at least 30 percent of its funds in the Mena region, particularly Saudi Arabia, and has a renewed focus on profitability, not just growth.

Hodler Investments launches NEXGEN to energize datacenters in KSA

HODLER INVESTMENTS, a UAE based investment company, headquartered in the Dubai, which includes in its portfolio energy, AI, and digital asset mining startups such as PermianChain, Brox Equity and others; and Abu Dhabi’s EHC Investment which leads multiple businesses with operations and investments across the energy, infrastructure, firefighting technology and system integration services signed a strategic partnership to launch NEXGEN.

NEXGEN will support the creation of a compliant digital energy market to supply critical energy infrastructure that will monetize wasted energy such as flared gas in the UAE, KSA, and Egypt with the aim of hosting global data center operators, reducing carbon emissions and contributing the Digital Energy Infrastructure (DEI) Fund, a local decarbonization innovation fund.

Hub71 admits Five digital asset startups to Cohort 16

Hub71 admits Five digital asset startups to Cohort 16

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global technology ecosystem, has admitted, five digital asset startups out of a total of 27 startups into its latest Cohort 16. The startups span across its three programs: Access, Hub71+ ClimateTech, and Hub71+ Digital Assets. Invoice Mate, Rilla Network, Sustainable Bitcoin Protocol, and 1Money are part of the Digital assets program.

Since the onset of Hub71 the venture ecosystem has support 357 startups, collectively securing over $145 million with an average of $4.9 million per company.

Over 1,300 companies/startups submitted applications. Under the Hub71 Digital assets program was InvoiceMate is a Blockchain & AI powered platform bridging conventional businesses with crypto liquidity, Redbrick is a cloud-based game and metaverse engine using blockchain and AI to streamline creation and distribution for all skill levels, Rilla Network is a decentralized infrastructure that unlocks the hidden potential of live streaming ecosystems while delivering exponential savings, Sustainable Bitcoin Protocol enables institutional investors to embed verifiable clean energy into their Bitcoin holdings—transforming Bitcoin’s distributed energy demand into a catalyst for the global energy transition, and 1Money which is developing the world’s first payment network exclusively designed for stablecoins, and specifically engineered to be the fastest, cheapest, and most compliant.

Among the new participants in Hub71’s Access programme is Vivan Therapeutics, a UK-based precision medicine company developing AI-driven cancer treatments using fruit fly models. The firm has raised US$10 million (AED 36 million) in funding. While in the Climate Tech program is Theion, a German company focused on developing sustainable sulphur-based batteries that can store up to three times more energy than conventional batteries.

Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said, “The selection process is highly competitive, reflecting the exceptional calibre of startups in our ecosystem. These companies are advancing innovation across key tech sectors while strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global tech hub.”

The selected companies will benefit from access to Hub71’s network of mentors, partners, and investors, providing them with market opportunities, talent, and capital to support their commercial growth.


500 Global launches Saudi sovereign fund backed tech fund

500 Global launches Saudi sovereign fund backed tech fund

500 Global, a global venture capital firm, has launched the 500 MENA, L.P. (the “Fund”), a new fund dedicated to investing in high-growth technology startups across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region both from outside and inside the current 500 Global portfolio.

The Fund will invest primarily in startups with proven product-market fit and significant growth potential, addressing the critical funding gap MENA founders face, particularly in the expansion stage. 500 Global aims to actively support these companies through their extended international network and comprehensive platform, empowering them to build and scale innovative solutions regionally and globally.

Amjad Ahmad, managing partner, 500 Global MENA, and emerging market advisor, will lead the fund. A seasoned investor with over two decades of experience in emerging markets, Amjad has previously led venture and growth investments of over $1 billion in the MENA region in sectors ranging from technology and education to consumer products and financial services. He will be supported on the investment committee by Courtney Powell, chief operating officer and managing partner at 500 Global, who has been based in Riyadh since 2021.

“Amjad is a seasoned investor with a proven track record of helping founders scale their startups,” said Courtney Powell. “His leadership will be instrumental in driving the success of our Fund and portfolio companies.”

“We are thrilled to fuel the next wave of tech champions in the MENA region, driving innovation and economic growth as digital transformation accelerates across key economies,” said Amjad Ahmad. “Our partnership with talented founders aims to empower them to innovate, build, and scale.” The Fund is backed by prominent Saudi institutional investors, Jada Fund of Funds, a Public Investment Fund (PIF) company, and Saudi Venture Capital (SVC). It is also supported by Sanabil Investments alongside their ongoing strategic partnership with 500 Global.

The MENA region has witnessed a significant surge in startup activity in recent years. Funding in startups has soared from $990 million in 2019 to over $2.6 billion in 2023. 500 Global believes the growth is further evidenced by the return of international funds leading mega-rounds and successful tech IPOs in Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. However, that expansion capital beyond the seed stage remains challenging, with Series B funding at a 5-year low accounting for only 2% of deals. As regional governments continue to invest in the venture ecosystem, especially in the GCC, we think the MENA region is on track to achieve venture capital penetration levels comparable to robust economies like the U.S.

UAE tokenization issuance platform Libre Capital and Mantra offer institutional investors access to onchain funds

UAE tokenization issuance platform Libre Capital and Mantra offer institutional investors access to onchain funds

MANTRA, a layer 1 blockchain purpose-built for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) has partnered with Libre Capital, a UAE-headquartered financial instruments tokenization and issuance platform, to provide investors with onchain access to a diverse range of attractive investment funds.

As per the press release the partnership will provide those MANTRA users that are institutional or accredited investors with investment opportunities across a number of notable onchain funds, including leading hedge funds, private credit funds and money market funds.

By leveraging Libre’s capabilities and MANTRA’s robust ecosystem, the partnership will facilitate the issuance of a tokenized Money Market Fund, and expand investment horizons for institutional and accredited investors seeking to diversify their portfolios within the digital asset landscape. The initiative underscores MANTRA’s commitment to leading the development of a comprehensive and diverse digital asset infrastructure, and strengthens MANTRA’s position in the growing digital asset spectrum within the financial services industry.

Libre operates backbone infrastructure that allows investors to access tokenized versions of real world assets such as money market funds, private credit and hedge funds and other alternative asset products on public blockchains. Libre does this through the on-chain Libre Gateway DeFi dApps (decentralized applications) deployed on each public chain. This enables accredited, professional and institutional investors to directly access top-tier funds on MANTRA Chain in a fully compliant manner.

“We’re honored to be partnering with Libre to give users access to this caliber of funds, ” said MANTRA Co-Founder and CEO John Patrick Mullin, “with the addition of protocols like the Libre Gateway, MANTRA can better equip users with a best-in-class collection of tools to continue to grow the real-world asset economy.”

“The launch of the Libre Gateway on MANTRA Chain is a huge step forward to enable access to wealth and treasury management tools for users on MANTRA, and for Libre to take advantage of MANTRA’s RWA-specific infrastructure,” said Dr. Avtar Sehra, CEO and founder of Libre.

Web3 sustainability venture studio jointly launched by UAE Inacta ventures and The Hashgraph Association

Web3 sustainability venture studio jointly launched by UAE Inacta ventures and The Hashgraph Association

The Hashgraph Association, a Swiss-based association and leader at the forefront of digital enablement on the Hedera network, today announces the launch of a groundbreaking Sustainability Venture Studio for Enterprises, in collaboration with Inacta Ventures, a renowned Swiss and UAE Web3 venture builder. 

Under “The Green Block” Iinitiative, a global think tank and launchpad for sustainability projects launched during COP28 in UAE, the joint Sustainability Venture Studio aims at empowering sustainable projects around the globe, leveraging the Hedera Guardian as the balance sheet of the planet that enables fair carbon markets with industry leading trust and transparency. 

The Hedera Guardian is an open-source platform that uses the Hedera distributed ledger technology (DLT) network to enable digital sustainability policies and requirements-based dMRV (Digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) tokenization for carbon credits and reduces fraud in the ESG market. 

The $50 million Sustainability Venture Studio will focus on enabling auditable climate finance transactions that are easily verifiable, publicly transparent, and accurate. This global co-investment sustainability program will span over the next five years, with The Hashgraph Association investing $25 million, contributing to 50%, while the remaining $25m co-investment reserved for enterprises interested in developing sustainability use cases on the Hedera Guardian.

By combining resources and specialist expertise in sustainability and Web3, this unique partnership is set to revolutionize the way sustainability projects are funded and executed around the world, ensuring a long-term positive environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact.

Kamal Youssefi, President of The Hashgraph Association stated, “With The Green Block Sustainability Venture Studio, we are creating standards for reporting sustainability assets to ensure credibility and accuracy using the Hedera Guardian platform as the balance sheet of the planet, while leveraging the Hedera network as the world’s most greenest distributed ledger network.” 

He added, “We look forward to further growing the global ESG ecosystem that is being built on the Hedera Guardian, introducing certainty, credibility, and comparability of data.”

Ralf Glabischnig, Founder of Inacta Ventures, noted, “We are thrilled to integrate the Sustainability Venture Studio into The Green Block Initiative. This collaboration with The Hashgraph Association will accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable projects in The Green Block ecosystem worldwide.”

Hedera, known and proven as the greenest DLT in the market, according to the UCL Centre for Blockchain Technologies research paper, continues to uphold its promise of sustainability. This new venture studio focused entirely on sustainability use cases not only reflects its commitment through developing various projects but also paves the way for innovative solutions in the sustainability sector. 

Over the past months The Hashgraph Association has announced two major venture studios one in KSA, and one in Qatar. The venture studio in KSA is aimed for deep tech development, while the one in Qatar is for digital assets.

Saudi Web3 gaming platform built on Hedera Blockchain raises $1 million

Saudi Web3 gaming platform built on Hedera Blockchain raises $1 million

Saudi Arabian Web3 Role-playing Gaming platform AstraNova incubated by The Hashgraph Association has raised $1 million in investment from lead investors that include , Oxbull, MoonEdge, Vision, Kanga, Spicy Capital, Equinox, BTS Labs, Sensei Capital and various MENA Investors from KSA, Dubai & Oman. The Hashgraph Association has provided a $100,000 grant to AstraNova through its innovation program designed to promote the development on the Hedera platform.

Co-Founder and CEO of Astra Nova, Fiazy Ahmed noted, “We are dedicated to forging an extraordinary IP and championing the gaming community of our region, in harmony with Saudi’s Vision 2030. Astra Nova is committed to emboldening Saudi gamers, catalyzing innovation, and propelling the Kingdom’s entertainment industry onto the world stage.”

AstraNova is built on the Hedera DLT platform as well as Unreal Engine 5. Incubated by both The Hashgraph Association and Gotbit, it is eyeing to position itself as the flagship game in the GCC region.

AstraNova has partnered with leading entities including the HBAR Foundation, Crpyto.com, FunToken, BTS Global, Nvidia, Microsoft Founder’s Hub, Wemix, Immutable, Aethir, Portal Coin, Blade Wallet, Kairon Labs, Tillo, and Polygon DAO.

The Astra Nova team consists of several gaming and crypto veterans with notable experience in game development, award-winning creatives, and leaders in brand marketing from companies like Ubisoft, Technicolor, Rockstar, Netflix, Hedera, and more.

Advisors from Binance, Hedera, Venture Capitals, and other prominent web3 firms support the project.

The prototype demo will be available for desktop, already accessible on the Steam Store for wishlisting, and primed for further distribution across platforms like the Epic Games Store. Their roadmap includes expansions onto consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox, while a mobile iteration is on the horizon through our strategic cloud gaming partnership with Aethir.

As per the press release AstraNova is also working on a Loyalty SocialFi Platform called ‘The Black Pass.’ a points farming platform with a competitive edge.