April 26, 2022: -U.S. cryptocurrency exchange Kraken expands into the Middle East. It can open its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi after getting a full license to operate a regulated trading platform in the UAE.
“We’re excited to set up our operations right in the ADGM itself to operate a virtual asset platform that offers Dirham pairs for investors in the region,” Curtis Ting, Kraken’s managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, told CNBC.
Kraken becomes the first cryptocurrency exchange for offering direct funding and trading in UAE dirhams against bitcoin, ether, and other virtual assets after gaining regulatory approval from the ADGM and Financial Services Regulatory Authority local launch.
“For us, it’s essential to facilitate access to global markets and global liquidity by ensuring that investors and traders in the region have access to local currencies,” Ting said.
Kraken launched in 2011 and operated in over 60 countries; said the UAE launch marks a more expansive play into a lucrative region. The Middle East is one of the growing cryptocurrency markets in the world, which makes up 7% of global trading volumes, according to Chainalysis.
The UAE transacts $25 billion worth of cryptocurrency in the previous year. It ranks third by volume in the region, behind Lebanon and Turkey, according to Chainalysis data studied between July 2020 and June 2021.
“One of the reasons we see an influx of entrepreneurs, builders, operators, and developers coming into Abu Dhabi and Dubai is due to the there is a sense of regulatory clarity at ADGM, in Dubai, and at a federal level,” Ronit Ghose, global head of fintech and digital at Citi, told CNBC on Thursday.
“It’s frankly amazing some of the talents the UAE has attracted in the last 12 to 24 months during COVID,” Ghose said. “Is it beginning to establish itself as both a crypto and Web3 hub?”
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
Loud leaders once ruled the boardroom. Charisma was currency. Big talk drove big valuations.
But the CEOs who make history in downturns aren’t the ones with the deepest cuts
Companies invest millions in leadership development, yet many of their best executives leave within a few years. Why?
The most successful business leaders don’t just identify gaps in the market; they anticipate future needs before anyone else.
With technological advancements, shifting consumer expectations, and global interconnectedness, the role of business leaders
May 23, 2025: Net migration to the UK has dropped by nearly 50% in 2024, and Indian nationals are at the center of this shift, leading to both the fall in new arrivals and the rise in emigration.
May 22, 2025: The UK government has publicly identified a sustained Russian cyber campaign targeting pro-Ukraine civil society, political figures, journalists, and NGOs across Europe.
May 20, 2025: U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to initiate a direct phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin
May 15, 2025: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly criticized the United Kingdom’s decision to extend a second state visit
Leave us a message
Subscribe
Fill the form our team will contact you
Advertise with us
Fill the form our team will contact you
