Stefan Kimmel reveals M2 crypto exchange plans, and Bitcoin ETF

Stefan Kimmel reveals M2 crypto exchange plans, and Bitcoin ETF

LaraontheBlock interviewed the CEO of recently UAE licensed crypto exchange M2, Stefan Kimmel who had a lot to say on the future plans of M2, their product growth, partnerships, acquisition appetite, Bitcoin ETFs and license plans.

Why Abu Dhabi

According to Kimmel, launching a fully regulated, transparent clean startup from Abu Dhabi ADGM ( Abu Dhabi Global Market) was because the FSRA ( Financial Services and Regulatory Authority) in ADGM is one of the oldest most respected and esteemed regulatory authorities when it comes to virtual assets and crypto. FSRA as Kimmel explains has been around for five years and has a comprehensive solid framework. He stated, “ After all that has happened in crypto over the past few years, everyone is looking for a safe protected transparent exchange, and this is what we are offering from ADGM.”

M2 Strong liquidity

Another strong feature that M2 has is its strong liquidity which is essential for the success of any crypto exchange. As Kimmel explains, “ Liquidity is super important for successful crypto exchanges, and this is why we have partnered with global leading market makers, have tight spreads, and in terms of depth of key markets we are right up there with all the top players. Liquidity is key for good trading experience for investors and that is why we are connected with the largest global market makers and have deep liquidity especially on large crypto asset pairs.”

M2 investors

Speaking on M2 investors and whether the company will be seeking further investment, Kimmel replies that M2 is not seeking to raise capital any time soon. According to Kimmel, M2 is lucky to have an equity investment of $300 million which will give them a long run rate. According to Kimmel, “Our strategic key investor is Phoenix Group but we also have investment from several Abu Dhabi family offices.”

However for those who have asked or been interested in investing in M2, Kimmel states they have the option of investing in Phoenix Group which is now trading publicly on the ADX exchange in Abu Dhabi or they can buy the M2 MMX token on the M2 exchange and Uniswap.”

Noteworthy is that while Phoenix Group is a strategic investor in M2 it also partners with M2 on Bitcoin mining and Hashrate mining.

Acquisition appetite

As for M2’s acquisition appetite, Kimmel admits that if they find well regulated transparent crypto exchanges in countries of interest they would seek to acquire them. On whether M2 would be interested in Binance, he replies, “First Binance is not up for sale, and secondly we are on the lookout for fully regulated exchanges, as we want to be regulated, transparent and clean in everything we do. So we would have to choose an exchange that is in the same direction.”

The U.S. market

At the moment M2 is not interested in the U.S. market given the unclear regulatory situation. Kimmel states, “We will be staying outside of the USA unfortunately, given its current regulatory state. There are no rules we can apply or abide by currently in the USA only enforcement.”

However M2 is very keen on Europe given that Europe has come out with its MICA regulations for crypto service providers. He states, “Our next intention after receiving several regulatory licenses from ADGM and a license from the Bahamas is to acquire a license in Europe and we have filed for one in Spain.”

After Spain, M2 plans to apply for a license in the United Kingdom.

Bitcoin Earn Yield Product

The first product launched by M2 was Bitcoin Earn product. The product was launched in partnership with Phoenix crypto mining group and offers yields that reach up to 10.5%.

The pair designed a product that utilizes Bitcoin mining to offer genuine returns for investors. Most investment platforms that offer yield returns on crypto provide it through one of two routes. M2 are generating returns predominantly with Bitcoin mining, which underpins the M2 Earn product

Kimmel admits that the appetite for the M2 Bitcoin Earn product has been fantastic. He states, “This has been one of the most debated topics inside the M2 because a large share of deposits goes to the Bitcoin Earn product. 10.5% is amazing given that it is hard to earn decent returns on Bitcoin.”

According to Kimmel it is not that difficult to offer 10.5% returns because as he notes, “Given that we are partially owned by Phoenix Group, we reinvest in Bitcoin mining which offers higher returns than 10%, the other two angles is on platform lending which is over collateralized and fully on platform, and a small percentage goes into Proprietary Trading (Prop Trading) market making and basic arbitrage, but no big exposures, as we are not trying to take on risks.”

According to Kimmel even if the crypto markets are not doing well since the investment is in Bitcoin and the interest return is in Bitcoin, then there is no FX market exposure.

Future product offerings partnerships

Kimmel is excited about the future of M2 after going live and ensuring that the processes in place are scalable and robust. Next up are more product offerings, partnerships, and maybe an ETF.

Kimmel explained, “In Q1 of 2024 we will be coming out with a crypto payment card. We will also be offering fiat on and off ramp with one of the banks in the UAE. In addition we have partnerships coming up with big retail names in the country to reach a bigger customer base.”

When asked about the potential of a Bitcoin ETF product, Kimmel confesses that this is absolutely on the radar. He says, “We are already having initial exploratory discussions on it.”

Outlook on crypto exchanges and DeFi

In terms of the bigger global situation when it comes to crypto exchanges, competition and DeFi, Kimmel believes that given that today there are around 600 crypto exchanges globally, we will definitely see some closing down because of the regulatory requirements, others being bought because the market cannot accommodate so many crypto exchanges. He explains, “ We will not only see consolidations in the UAE as crypto exchanges struggle to meet tighter regulatory environment, but there will also be eliminations as market gravitate towards the stronger players.”

In terms of centralized crypto exchanges versus decentralized using DeFi, Kimmel believes that for mass adoption to take place, centralized exchanges are a must. Kimmel, “As we drive for mass adoption the vast majority will struggle with decentralized user experiences, such as managing wallets, on and off ramp, which is hard, in addition we also have governments and regulators who struggle in DeFi, where it is anonymous and users as well may not subscribe to that ethos. For institutional adoption this can only happen in centralized platforms.”

UAE based Seagrass and The Hashgraph Association Announce Launch of Co-Funded Carbon Credit Web3 Identity Wallet 

UAE based Seagrass and The Hashgraph Association Announce Launch of Co-Funded Carbon Credit Web3 Identity Wallet 

The Hashgraph Association, the non-profit organization accelerating the broad adoption of the DLT ( Distributed Ledger Technology) network Hedera globally, has today announced a co-funding initiative with UAE based Seagrass, a climate action company and subsidiary of E.ON, one of Europe’s largest operators of energy networks and energy infrastructure. 

This initiative facilitates the building of the Seagrass Wallet, a proof-of-concept Web3 identity wallet that provides users with a decentralized digital identity and wallet that relates to their carbon projects. 

Seagrass which is based in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) financial centre UAE holds a license to arrange trades in environmental instruments from ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority. Seagrass chose the UAE because of its position as the cross roads and stands where carbon credits are originated as well as demanded.

Seagrass aims to unlock the potential of the carbon markets and transform carbon finance, which can make an important contribution to the net-zero transition. This collaboration supports its goal of bringing together supply from certified projects with large-scale demand from buyers with ambitious climate strategies on a centralized marketplace driven by technology, transparency and integrity.

The Web3 identity wallet provides transparency on environmental, economical and project data to buyers and developers. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) architecture enabled by Hedera ensures users will have a decentralized digital identity and crypto wallet that is compliant with European standards. This leading-edge Web3 digital wallet creates, stores, and presents digital identities with verifiable credentials, alongside the storage and exchange of assets.

The digital identity would put users who had been onboarded by Seagrass in charge of their credentials, potentially allowing them to save time and reduce costs by interacting with other market participants without having to go through fresh due diligence or know-your-client checks.

The proof-of-concept has been designed to be compatible with Seagrass Carbon Map, a live application available to buyers and sellers on the Seagrass marketplace that provides users with sophisticated data on the impact of nature-based projects and enables deep, ongoing engagement between project developers and carbon credit buyers. Seagrass Wallet is currently in testing and will be made available to clients in 2024.

Thomas Birr, Chief Strategy and Innovation officer at E.ON and Managing Director of Seagrass’ shareholding company, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with The Hashgraph Association and Hedera on the use of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to unlock opportunities in the carbon markets via Seagrass.  I look forward to seeing its implementation and use in 2024.”

Kamal Youssefi, President of the Board of The Hashgraph Association, said: “As we build a vibrant innovative ecosystem for startups, enterprises, and government institutions around the world, we simultaneously focus on the realization of a net zero carbon future. Combining the power of Hedera’s DLT with Seagrass’ commitment to scale the carbon markets via liquidity, integrity, and digital access for all, it also builds value on the wider engagement with E.ON.”

Saudi, Russia, and Iran to deal in Bitcoin and Qatar to pull trigger with Bitcoin buy

Saudi, Russia, and Iran to deal in Bitcoin and Qatar to pull trigger with Bitcoin buy

Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran to start doing deals in Bitcoin, this is a statement made on X by no other than Max Keiser, the well-known Bitcoin influencer and the host of Keiser report, who is as well senior Bitcoin advisor to Nayib Bukele, the President of El Salvador.

As per Keiser’s statement, on X, “Russia, KSA, Iran will start doing deals in Bitcoin. Qatar knows this and is pulling the trigger on a huge BTC buy for their SWF (Sovereign Wealth Fund).”

This comes just days after Keiser stated that the Qatar sovereign Fund would be buying $500 billion of Bitcoin. Keiser had stated on X, “I have 1 word for you $100,000 Bitcoin God Candle fans. QATAR, the rumors are getting very loud on this. Their SWF (Sovereign Wealth Fund) rumored to looking to buy 1/2 trillion BTC (Bitcoin).”

Months prior to this Qatar was touted as discussing Bitcoin mining during the visit of HH Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar to El Salvador but nothing materialized on that front yet.

Keiser is a longtime Bitcoin advocate and educator, having advised people to buy Bitcoin since the price was $1.

With his statements Keiser seems to imply that the top GCC countries, Iran, and Russia plans to break away from the U.S. dollar and gravitate towards Bitcoin for trade.

Some would say that given that the Qatar Investment Authority founded in 2005 in October 2023, had an estimated $475 billion of assets under management would they use all that to buy Bitcoin? Qatar has not even legalized the trade of cryptocurrencies and neither has Saudi Arabia, Iran, or Russia.

In January 2023, Qatar Investment Authority CEO Mansoor Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud told Bloomberg that they would be interested in the credit space, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) as a theme of investments. In 2022 the CEO of Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund showed interest in investing in Blockchain but shunned crypto.

Could the strained relationships with the United States be pushing forward this movement towards de-dollarization in the form of utilization of Bitcoin?

Another interesting analysis could be that Qatar is actually interested in Bitcoin mining in El Salvador.  El Salvador was noted as entering a public private partnership worth $1billion to create the world’s largest Bitcoin mining farm. Volcano Energy has developed the first mining pool in El Salvador with Luxor Technology.

This according to Volcano Energy is a $1 billion Bitcoin mining project set to transform El Salvador through the development and operation of renewable energy plants. Could Qatar one of the most experienced and highly invested renewable energy country be interested in this project? Maybe just maybe yes!

Binance drops Abu Dhabi, keeps Dubai, but will Dubai drop Binance?

Binance drops Abu Dhabi, keeps Dubai, but will Dubai drop Binance?

Binance one of the biggest global crypto exchanges has withdrawn and dropped its license application with Abu Dhabi’s ADGM ( Abu Dhabi Global Market) while it retains its license application at Dubai’s VARA ( Virtual asset regulatory authority).

This comes exactly one year after Binance received a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial center of the UAE’s capital emirate.

The withdrawn license would have allowed Binance to manage a Collective Investment Fund, under conditions that BV Investment Management Limited may not hold or control Client Assets; and BV Investment Management Limited may not deal with Retail Clients as defined under the FSRA Conduct of Business Rules (COBS).

This should not be a surprise given that recently Richard Teng, Binance’s new CEO during the FT Crypto and Digital Assets Summit, would not name the location of the company’s headquarters yet admitted that Binance’s Middle Eastern headquarters is in Dubai, while its European headquarters is in France.

He suggested that the location of the global headquarters would be disclosed when deemed appropriate.

So it seems that Binance is putting all its license eggs in one basket in the UAE, with Dubai’s VARA. Some have speculated that most probably they will receive the license in Dubai and thus do not need to have one in Abu Dhabi. Yet the License in Dubai is still not in the bag.

In early December Dubai’s virtual asset regulator came out with a statement, saying that it is continuing to asses and monitor Binance activities to strict regulatory requirements, rigorous KYC and due diligence. As per VARA, Binance FZE crypto exchange currently only holds a Minimum Viable Product [MVP] Operational License with VARA, which allows them access to a restricted client base. As such to date, Binance has on boarded approximately 180 qualified investors and institutional clients.

As per Reuters, the exchange deemed it unnecessary given the reassessment of global licensing needs.

Binance’s custodial license application within ADGM is still active until May 2024.

Binance is not the only crypto exchange to have withdrawn its license in ADGM, BitOasis also withdrew its license in ADGM, as has DEX.

This comes after M2 became a fully licensed crypto exchange from Abu Dhabi UAE which can offer retail clients crypto exchange services.

Blockchain Agritech company Dimitra working with Saudi Arabia to develop Coffee business

Blockchain Agritech company Dimitra working with Saudi Arabia to develop Coffee business

Blockchain Agritech company, Dimitra, is working with Saudi Sustainable Union Trading company (SUT), an organization that develops innovative agriculture solution to establish a program for Jazan Coffee producers with Connected Coffee Platform for 700 farms.

Dimitra and SUT aim to promote the coffee industry within the country. By assisting in developing coffee farms in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, these farmers can further capitalize on their unique coffee heritage in Saudi Arabia.

The Jazan Coffee Cooperative (CCJ), a leading agricultural development institution and national expertise house in the agriculture sector, is using Dimitra’s Connected Coffee platform. The tailored Blockhain enabled platform provides straightforward, actionable insights to increase the quality and quantity of coffee yields, all sustainably and with longevity in mind. The platform also offers real-time track and trace capability throughout all levels of the supply chain, ensuring farmers’ produce is transparent and credible.

The project’s initial phase starts with 200 farms in 2023 and will reach 350 by the end of 2024. The project’s full scope is to implement the Dimitra Connected Coffee platform for 700 farms in 6 coffee provinces in the Jazan region that cultivate Arabica and Khawlani coffee beans.

Specifically, Dimitra’s Connected Coffee platform will help the farmers establish quality control measures. It will also assist with monitoring and maintaining the quality of coffee produced. Moreover, it will also encourage farmers to adhere to international quality standards. The app will also motivate farmers to consider obtaining certifications such as organic to enhance marketability.

Maged Elmontaser, Dimitra’s MENA regional Director, says, “The Jazan province is packed full of advantages. The six mountainous governorates have many investment opportunities, especially in agriculture and heritage sites. Exploring opportunities to integrate coffee farms into the Dimitra Connected Coffee platform will transform the coffee industry. In addition, it will revolutionize the history, cultivation, and brewing of Saudi Arabian coffee. They are leveraging knowledge exchange, access to markets, and improving the overall competitiveness of Saudi Arabian coffee”.

South Korean WeMade game developer and DIFC Innovation hub to build WEMIX Play Web3 community

South Korean WeMade game developer and DIFC Innovation hub to build WEMIX Play Web3 community

South Korean game developer, Wemade, and UAE DIFC (Dubai International Financial Zone), Innovation Hub partner to build WEMIX Play web3 gaming community to support Dubai Program for Gaming 2033.

The Wemade-DIFC Innovation Hub collaboration plans to focus on core initiatives, including establishing WEMIX PLAY Center within the DIFC Innovation Hub for WEMIX PLAY. Wemade and DIFC Innovation hub will onboard game companies and facilitate the raising of $100 million Web3 gaming fund to  support the developers, studios and entrepreneurs.

Dubai is a leading business hub with advanced financial services and policies for fostering economic growth, investor attraction, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. Aided by DIFC Innovation Hub, Wemade aims to maintain close communication with UAE crypto-regulating bodies for making the Middle East business strategy as per up-to-date trends.

Wemade is also working on an application for Crypto Token Recognition from the Dubai Financial Services Authority, the DIFC’s Financial Regulator. Tokens conferred with this status will allow financial institutions in the DIFC to carry out transactions with them, to be used by over 4,900 companies in the special economic zone.

Qatar Investment company invests $15 million in Layer1 Blockchain platform QAN

Qatar Investment company invests $15 million in Layer1 Blockchain platform QAN

UK QANplatform, the quantum-resistant Layer 1 blockchain, receives $15 million investment from Qatar investment company MBK Holding. In September 2023, MBK holding publicly expressed their support for QANplatform.

The QANplatform unveiled its private blockchain on September 12th 2023. The platform which is both quantum resistant and compatible with Ethereum’s EVM received support from Qatar ruling family member H.E. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Khalifa Al Thani.  In a privately held partner event prior to the public launch of QANplatform, H.E. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Member of the Qatari Ruling Family, Chairman of MBK Holding, and former ICT Director for The Council of The Qatar Ruling Family Affairs stated, “We always evolve but not everyone leads the way. I’m proud to support the introduction of a cutting-edge deep tech project, such as QANplatform, in the Gulf region and on the global market.”

Today MBK holding has gone a step further and announced their $15 million investment in QANplatform days before the launch of its testnet.

MBK Holding, an investment holding company with its main office in Qatar and a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, focuses on investing in technology startups. The Founder and Chairman, H.E. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, member of the Qatari ruling family, formerly served for a decade as the director of information technology for The Council of The Qatar Ruling Family Affairs.

In addition MBK Holding will offer growth services to facilitate global market access and expansion for QANplatform. MBK Holding’s focus extends to various regional markets, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and United Kingdom while also encompassing other global opportunities.

H.E. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Founder and Chairman of MBK Holding commented, “MBK Holding proudly backs QANplatform, the game-changing quantum-resistant blockchain platform and nominates Johann Polecsak as the Director of Blockchain of MBK Holding. Blockchain technology in general, is still an untapped area with many opportunities and potential to transform entire value chains, sectors, and business processes. As a deep tech startup, QANplatform can lead the next wave of blockchain platforms with its remarkable features, including multi-language smart contracts and quantum-resistant security. QANplatform is a great fit for our portfolio and partner companies to discover and benefit from the potential of its technology.”

Johann Polecsak, Co-Founder and CTO of QANplatform added, “Working alongside MBK Holding and their team is truly an honor. QANplatform is driven by the vision of creating the safest and most user-friendly blockchain platform, enabling the development of numerous real-world robust applications that bring tangible value to various industries.”

MBK Holding recently signed a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia to support entrepreneurial growth and innovation in Saudi Arabia by developing growth services that seek to create market-leading investment opportunities.

QANplatform will be the first EVM-compatible, quantum-resistant Layer 1 hybrid blockchain platform where developers can code smart contract, DApp, DeFi, DAO, token, NFT, Metaverse, CBDC, tokenized asset, and robust Web3 solutions on top of the QAN blockchain platform in any programming language.

As a hybrid blockchain, QANplatform will have a private and public blockchain as well. In September 2023, QANplatform marked a new era of Web3 OS (Operating System) with the launch of the QAN Private Blockchain. QANplatform has unveiled the world’s first private blockchain that is both quantum-resistant (using NIST primary recommended post-quantum algorithm), and compatible with Ethereum’s EVM, while also enabling developers to code smart contracts in any programming language.

QANplatform’s ecosystem is building up with renowned companies such as Hacken, Beosin, or Alpine Esports. In February 2023, Alpine Esports, a Group Renault brand, and inter alia in the Formula 1® Esports Series signed QANplatform as its Official Blockchain Partner. In September 2023, QANplatform was selected to the Ernst & Young Startup Program as one of the nine selected promising startups in the technology and finance sectors, chosen from among hundreds of applicants globally.

This announcement comes as Qatar enters the blockchain era, with the launch of its digital assets lab, as well as partnerships with R3, Settlemint and others.

SEBA Crypto bank changes its name to AMINA as it grows operations in UAE, Hong Kong, and Switzerland

SEBA Crypto bank changes its name to AMINA as it grows operations in UAE, Hong Kong, and Switzerland

UAE based SEBA digital assets crypto bank has renamed itself AMINA Bank AG, which comes from the word transAMINAtion’, meaning transference of one compound to another. As per the press release, AMINA is a brand driven by perpetual change, bringing together the various ‘compounds’ of traditional, digital, and crypto banking to unlock new potential and growth for their clients

The group operates globally from its regulated hubs in Zug, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong, offering its clients traditional and crypto banking services, and the entities will be seeking renaming in all of these operations.

SEBA Bank made history in 2019 by becoming one of the first FINMA-regulated institutions to provide crypto banking services. This rebrand marks a new chapter for the company, which has proudly been in operation for more than four years.

Franz Bergmueller, CEO of AMINA, stated, “We are delighted to introduce the world to our new brand identity. While we say goodbye to the SEBA name, we remain forever proud of the achievements made by the group under the former brand. Our brand signifies a new era in the company’s growth and strategy; we are a key player in crypto banking and are here to define the future of finance. With our client-focused approach, our years of traversing traditional and crypto finance, we offer a platform for investors to build wealth safely and under the highest regulatory standards.”

AMINA bank seeks to expand it growth in strategic hubs in Abu Dhabi, Switzerland and Hong Kong while continuing its global expansion in 2024.

UAE Tech Innovation Institute launches Blockchain carbon tracking & trading platform at COP28

UAE Tech Innovation Institute launches Blockchain carbon tracking & trading platform at COP28

UAE Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global scientific research center and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has launched a blockchain-powered carbon tracking and trading platform, which will facilitate international trade in carbon tokens. Verifiable and trustworthy carbon trading can play a vital role in driving green investment and accelerating the road to net zero emissions.

TII’s Cryptography Research Center (CRC) designed the new platform that aligns with both the UAE Vision 2021’s aim of fast-tracking a sustainable environment and achieving net zero as well as the goal of COP28 to “accelerate a transition that puts our economies on the path toward a new low-carbon, high-growth, sustainable economic model in a way that is both transformational and just. The platform will support the global carbon market and allow better tracking of carbon emissions and carbon emission trading. Using a lightweight, efficient blockchain implementation that is not computationally wasteful, as opposed to existing blockchain projects, tracking and trading activities can be verified publicly at little to no cost, either in carbon emissions or other resources. 

Dr. Ray O. Johnson, CEO, Technology Innovation Institute, said, “We are proud to announce this digitized tracking and trading platform at COP28, which represents the UAE’s drive to become a technology and innovation powerhouse and its commitment to leading the world’s climate action agenda. The UAE has provided the tool to ensure that trading can be done in confidence while mitigating human impact and maximizing the benefits to the environment.”

While other organizations are also developing digital carbon trading platforms, TII is the first to implement a blockchain-enabled Proof of Concept as it continues to prepare the platform for global trading. The platform will accurately track carbon emissions by registering the emissions from any worldwide public or private organization. Auditors can then establish a chain of trust from emissions from capture to storage to trading. These audited transactions can be made transparent while keeping intact the privacy of the user – emitter, buyer, or third party. 

TII’s new platform will allow for the creation of tokens that represent a quantity of carbon dioxide that has been removed from the environment. The token can then be stored and traded transparently and securely. The trade-in tokens will create incentives to drive investment in green projects such as forestation and carbon capture and allow entities to offset hard-to-decarbonize activities – further incentivizing green investment. Specifically, blockchain can track and trace products throughout their supply chain journey, enable peer-to-peer energy trading, and create a transparent and immutable ledger of waste disposal and recycling activities. It can also help track water and forestry management efforts.

The establishment of a global carbon credit market was approved at COP21 in Paris in 2015 and a supervisory body was set up to oversee its regulation. The entity aims to finalize its recommendations for approval during COP28, which will trigger a more robust international carbon market than currently exists.

By employing the use of PKI and advanced consensus algorithms, this blockchain solution ensures secure transactions without the resource-intensive proof of work algorithms, resulting in a seamless and eco-friendly network where the decentralized transactions can unfold minimal transactional impact.

Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Chief Researcher at TII’s Cryptography Research Center (CRC), said: “This tracking and trading platform was designed by our talented team of international experts and allows large numbers of verified users to carry out carbon tracking and trading transactions in confidence. It protects the integrity of the transactions and the privacy of the user while ensuring auditability and transparency, making it a perfect tool for a new era of confident carbon trading.”

The TII blockchain offers a verifiable multi-tenant, multi-transaction solution with public key infrastructure (PKI) permissioning built into its core design in addition to a high-security cryptographic stack. The blockchain features a consensus algorithm and a smart contract platform which are designed as pluggable components with integrated practical complex fault tolerance. The permission-based blockchain uses a lightweight, efficient implementation that makes it easy and affordable to transact, track, and trade.

UAE Crypto mining Group Phoenix shares rise 50% on first day of trading

UAE Crypto mining Group Phoenix shares rise 50% on first day of trading

UAE based crypto mining group, Phoenix share price soared 50% as it launched on Abu Dhabi Exchange (ADX). Its share price opened at 2.25 AED on Tuesday December 5th, up from its IPO price of 1.5 AED. This is the first crypto IPO and listing in the MENA region.

The IPO raised $371 million and was oversubscribed 33 times with retail investors leading with over subscription of 180 times.

International Holding Co, Abu Dhabi’s largest conglomerate controlled by a key member of the emirate’s royal family, bought a 10% stake in Phoenix in early October.

Phoenix is also closely affiliated with the recently launched M2 regulated crypto exchange out of Abu Dhabi.

In August 2023 Oman’s Green Data City and Abu Dhabi’s Phoenix Group signed an agreement to develop a 150MW crypto-mining farm in Oman. The new farm will be set up in Green Data City was noted that it will be operational by Q2 2024, becoming one of the largest crypto-mining data centers in the region.

Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Chief Executive Officer of ADX, said: “The listing of Phoenix Group on our exchange not only adds to the diversity of products on our market but also signals the growing interest in the digital economy and financial technology investments in Abu Dhabi and the UAE”.

“We are proud to continue to be the exchange market of choice for tech-driven issuers and investors, as we remain committed to our mission of connecting opportunity and providing a world-class exchange market experience for all our stakeholders,” he added.

Bijan Alizadehfard, Co-Founder & Group CEO of Phoenix Group PLC, stated: “Phoenix Group’s ADX listing is a milestone for diversified technology and innovation. Our IPO symbolises a leap forward for Abu Dhabi as a nexus of digital transformation across various sectors. By blending advanced blockchain applications, strategic tech partnerships, and market-leading digital asset services, we’re proud to be part of Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030.”

Munaf Ali, Co-Founder & Group MD of Phoenix Group PLC stated: “The ADX listing of Phoenix Group is a testament to our multifaceted technological prowess. From spearheading blockchain advancements to shaping the landscape of digital finance, our presence on the exchange is a narrative of cross-industry tech innovation. As a preferred partner for government-led tech initiatives, we’re championing a future where the Abu Dhabi stands as a global beacon for sustainable and comprehensive digital economy growth.” 

This article updated November 6th 2023