Lebanese one of the most powerful woman in finance new CEO of Blockchain fintech Securrency

Lebanese one of the most powerful woman in finance new CEO of Blockchain fintech Securrency

Born in the USA and raised in Beirut Lebanon until she was a teenager, Nadine Chakar, a US national of Lebanese origin, later attended university in the US. Her parent are both doctors yet Nadine is a well renowned financial and technology executive and is recognized as one of the most powerful women in finance. She has been a vocal champion for using tech to revolutionize financial services. 

Nadine Chakar will be joining Securrency, a leading developer of institutional-grade, blockchain-based financial and regulatory technology, as Chief Executive Officer effective January 9th, 2023.

Ms. Chakar brings over 30 years of experience in global wealth and asset management to Securrency. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Head of State Street Digital, where she built and led the team that is helping State Street, institutional investors, and regulators successfully navigate the bank’s transition into a modern digital economy. Ms. Chakar also led State Street Global Markets, where she oversaw its trading, product, and operations platform, helping to drive successful client solutions. Prior to State Street, she served as global head of operations for Manulife’s Global Wealth and Asset Management Division and led the Global Asset Servicing teams for BNY Mellon.

In addition to her leadership at State Street Digital, Ms. Chakar has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Securrency since 2021. Her appointment as the CEO of Securrency highlights the growing importance of compliance aware tokenization, interoperability, and institutional DeFi to the future of global finance.

Ms. Chakar’s appointment will allow Dan Doney, Securrency’s founder, who has served as the company’s CEO and lead architect since its inception, to focus on innovation, technology delivery, and commercialization by continuing to serve as the Chief Technology Officer of Securrency. Mr. Doney is recognized as one of the preeminent thought leaders in the blockchain and decentralized finance space. This focus will accelerate the growth of Securrency’s blockchain-enabled financial services infrastructure market share.

Nadine Chakar, incoming CEO of Securrency stated,  “The financial services industry is at a critical tipping point as it tokenizes regulated real-world assets and automates legacy financial processes using the power of blockchain technology. The Securrency team has done a remarkable job of developing the most robust technology on the market. As the new CEO, my priority is to accelerate the commercialization of what is in essence the digital asset intelligence and interoperability foundation for major financial institutions and the global ecosystem. Dan Doney is a true visionary and innovator in the industry, and I look forward to working closely with him and the team to create the global digital assets marketplaces of the future.”

Jonathan Steinberg, CEO of WisdomTree, said: “The future of finance relies on regulation-forward and compliance-driven digital development and Nadine has long been a driver of this evolution. Working with Nadine as a client and industry leader, I have witnessed not only her tremendous expertise in the integration of RegTech and digital assets, but her steadfast belief that Securrency’s technology will pave the way for institutional DeFi. I congratulate Nadine, Dan, and the entire Securrency team on this bold move for the company.”

It is noteworthy that Securrency Capital, a blockchain-enabled brokerage that empowers global financial access received a license to operate in ADGM Abu Dhabi UAE in 2022. Securrency Capital is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Securrency, Inc., a US-based global financial markets infrastructure technology company. Securrency Capital is a full-service regulated institutional DeFi brokerage firm that offers both traditional and digital financial services to retail and institutional clients via a single, accessible marketplace. 

Arab Super Star Singers to hold the first ever concert in the metaverse

Arab Super Star Singers to hold the first ever concert in the metaverse

Moroccan Arab singer, dubbed “Al Mualem”, meaning the teacher, Saad LAMajarred and Arab Super star Ragheb Alama will be holding the first ever Arab joint music concert in the metaverse.

The two well renowned Arabic singers announced that they would be holding their upcoming concert in the metaverse in collaboration with famous Arab composer Michel Fadel.

The concert will be held on the 20th of October 2022, organized by Metaboundless. Metaboundless is a Web3.0 platform that connects creators and creator IP with fans to produce and scale creator content. MetaBoundless in partnership with Karma Return Opportunities, a regulated Web3.0 asset manager run helps creators generate attractive returns while preserving capital.

Tickets will be sold in the form of NFTs (Non Fungible tokens). A tutorial on how to purchase the tickets is present on the Metaboundless website.

Blockchain platform AlGorand is the exclusive blockchain partner for the event along with famous Arab Cartoon NFT collectibles, the Crypto Arabs as community sponsors.

Ragheb Alama, Saad La Mjarred and Michel Fadel will be present at the concert through their avatars.

Ragheb Alami on twitter stated, “I have dreamt to be able to communicate directly with all my fans anywhere, anytime and with every generation, and after months of work with MetaBoundless, we are now able to make this a reality. It is now time to enjoy this technologically advanced and different project. Be with us on the 20th of October at 11 pm where we will for the first time hold a futuristic concert in the metaverse with my Avatar.”

Saad Al Mjarred also took to Twitter and stated, “I have always dreamed of being able to perform live with all of you globally together. MetaBoundless

 is making that dream a reality. Together we Step into the Metaverse, a worldwide virtual performance.”

I am pleased to be participating with the Star Ragheb Alameh in this concert. We will be showcasing new music and songs in a futuristic way that goes with the environment in the metaverse.”

It is noteworthy that prior to this in July 2020, Nancy Ajram released her new song in the metaverse. She had announced that she would be launching her new song “Sah Sah” in the metaverse. Tickets were sold in crypto for the first time in the Arab world.

Lebanese media figure embraces crypto, blockchain and the metaverse

Lebanese media figure embraces crypto, blockchain and the metaverse

Well know Lebanese media figure Wissam Breidy embraces crypto and partners with UAE’s Crypto Oasis ecosystem to help educate the region on Blockchain and Web3 which will increase adoption and engagement.

Breidy will use his credibility as a popular and accomplished celebrity to help publicize the inherent potential of these disruptive products. As an Arab cultural icon, Breidy is the new ambassador for blockchain and Web3 for Crypto Oasis, the fastest-growing blockchain ecosystem in the world. As one of the most entertaining Arab TV show hosts in the recent era, Wissam Breidy will bring relevance and relatability as Crypto Oasis looks to scale blockchain and Web3 adoption in the region.

Wissam is very passionate about decentralized technology and is committed to creating awareness within the Arab World. “The Future of the Internet has arrived. Web3, NFTs, and Metaverse are our tools for Universal State Layers with Open Gates. Embrace it –don’t be late!,” Breidy says.

“We are delighted to welcome Wissam Breidy on board as our new strategic partner,” commented Ralf Glabischnig, founder of Crypto Oasis. “With Wissam’s strong industry knowledge and outreach, we expect this partnership to help educate the wider Arab Community on Web3 and blockchain technology and tap into something that hasn’t been explored before. We are also looking forward to working with him as an initiator for arte, and to build meaningful connections, educate and inform the market about the ever-growing and evolving ecosystem.”

As a strategic advisor to Crypto Oasis, Wissam will promote the adoption of blockchain and ease out the complexities of the metaverse to make people more familiar with these seemingly tangled digital landscapes for the Arabic speaking population.

For arte, the Web3 Meta-Community by Crypto Oasis, Wissam will help bring together Web3 communities and individuals worldwide to create an environment that enables individuals in the art, NFT and Metaverse area to engage and interact continuously and effortlessly. arte is a global platform focused on creativity, community-building and entrepreneurship in the Web3 space. It aims to bring changemakers in art and technology to discuss the future of digital assets and the metaverse. arte intends to work on educating the wider public on blockchain technologies and Wissam will be a major contributor in the success of the initiative.

Four Lebanese Crypto Blockchain startups Win University Hackathon

Four Lebanese Crypto Blockchain startups Win University Hackathon

Despite the dire economic situation and maybe because of it, many startups are turning towards solutions built on blockchain and crypto. Lebanon has become one of the leading countries in MENA region for crypto mining, and crypto trading. Recently, the American University of Beirut witnessed a 48 hour Blockchain Crypto Hackathon which culminated in the success of four Lebanese startups offering innovative crypto blockchain solutions.

Organized by the Darwazah Center for Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship (DC) at the Olayan School of Business (OSB) within th American University of Beirut (AUB) in partnership i-Park and Beirut Digital District, four Lebanese crypto blockchain startups were announced as winners. 

First prize went to CrypLock, which is working to bring trustless operations to cover over the counter crypto transactions via a digital escrow. The second Prize went to Cash2Coin, which is working to make crypto transaction as easy as ATM operations via stablecoins. In Third place came Walleti, which seeks to increase mass market adoption of Crypto through pre-paid crypto scratch cards and applications. Finally in Fourth place came D-Bank, which seeks to enhance SME (Small to Medium Size Enterprise) reputation using blockchain.

Prizes ranged from 15,000 USD to 5,000 USD offered by leading Blockchain platforms such as Avalanche, NYM Technologies, and L1 Digital. Speakers at the event included John Nahas, VP Business Development for Ava Labs, Harry Halpin, CEO of blockchain privacy startup Nym, Ray Hindi, CEO/CIO and co-founder of L1 Digital, Cyrus Azad, Vice President of Business Development at Digital Transit, Charbel Ghossan, the founder and CEO of Digital Transit, Abdulwahab Alzuaby, the CTO of Arcadous and Rafic Farra, the founder of Walleti & Coinsultancy.

Amir Taaki, Founder of Agora DeFi movement, a well-known programmer who rewrote a portion of the Bitcoin code made the closing remarks at the event. In his speech he made a call to action for DeFi

The first NFT Micro gallery MONO launched in Tunis

The first NFT Micro gallery MONO launched in Tunis

Shiran Ben Abderrazak, Co-founder and of Bift crypto entity has launched MONO the first NFT micro gallery in Tunisia. The first artist to showcase her art is Lebanese- Senegalese Linda Dounia Rebeiz,

MONO is located in the heart of Tunis, Tunisia. Open to all, it stands as a mysterious portal on a very busy, old and narrow street. Inspired by a science-fiction aesthetic from the 70s, its style makes any passer-by question its utility, as its functionality is rather clashing with the hustle and bustle of its area.

MONO is a window to the eccentric world of NFTs (Non Fungible Tokens). MONO invites artists from multiple mediums to exhibit their works on the screen, thereby allowing viewers to explore their artistic universe through the small portal. Through a disruptive cu-ration, the micro-gallery will be using the advantage of its location to provide to a large audience access to digital art, make it curious and trigger conversations and debates around the evolution of digital art and its accessibility.

For Mono’s opening, Senegalese-Lebanese artist, Linda Dounia Rebeiz, is exhibiting a generative piece called Bauhaus’ Puzzle. She layers AI-generated acrylic paint footage with vector-designed Bauhaus-inspired grids, as an attempt to question the grid system as a foundational image-making instrument.

Linda Dounia Rebeiz is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and curator, based in Dakar. Her work focuses on the social construction of power and the cultural implications of how it is distributed. She has exhibited work at the Tezos show at Art Basel Miami, Art X Lagos, Fort NFT Gallery, and The Museum of Newfangled Art. Her work has appeared in Vogue Singapore, Nataal, and The Art Newspaper.

Investing in Properties in Lebanon now through Fractional NFTs

Investing in Properties in Lebanon now through Fractional NFTs

Three villas in Lebanon can now be bought using fractional NFTs ( Non Fungible Tokens). Utilizing Aqarchain which is the first crowdfunding fractional NFT investment platform for properties globally, investors of all income levels can own a piece of property in Lebanon and make a return on investment by receiving dividends from rent and sales.

Aqarchain.io has listed Villa Ekolu valued at 640,000 USD divided into 3,746 shares and so far 10.73 percent has been subscribed to it. Aqarchain is offering 7 percent guaranteed Return on Investment.

There are two other villas as well Villa Ekahi valued at 525,000 USD and Villa Hauoli valued at 415,000 USD.

This is the first time property in Lebanon has been tokenized as NFTs and listed.

Aqarchain,  a blockchain powered real estate asset tokenization platform, which aims to create a decentralized ecosystem where investment in real estate is as easy as investing in shares on the stock market, has now launched a NFT marketplace.

Aqarchain mints real estate NFT and fractionalizes it. The company has developed the world’s First Decentralized Real Estate NFT marketplace with a MetaVerse.