Binance and other cryptocurrency firms based in the United Arab Emirates are optimistic that the country will remain a hotspot for virtual assets despite a potential shift to the United States should the Western superpower become a more crypto-friendly jurisdiction. The “regulation by enforcement” regime in the U.S. has pushed global crypto firms to move…
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Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has awarded a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license to Bahrain-headquartered cryptocurrency exchange CoinMENA to operate and offer services in and from the Emirates. The license acquired by CoinMENA FZE, the Dubai subsidiary of CoinMENA B.S.C., permits the platform to offer virtual asset broker-dealer services, the Dec. 12 announcement…
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While grassroots cryptocurrency adoption went stale after last year’s implosions in the industry, trading platform eToro’s chief executive believes that the appeal of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for institutions and ease of investing through various platforms for non-professionals could further drive Bitcoin (BTC) adoption. EToro CEO Yoni Assia told Cointelegraph at the recent Abu Dhabi Finance…
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The United States’ approach to cryptocurrencies could do more harm than good and they risk losing major players by the time they “get their act together,” Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson has said. “When you look at some of the U.S. regulators, in particular, they’ve done a really good job of alienating most of the industry.…
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A Ripple executive has re-emphasized the need to adopt a technology-neutral approach for more effective and adaptable guardrails as global regulators grapple with cryptocurrency rules. At the recent Ripple Swell 2023 event, Navin Gupta, managing director of South Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at Ripple, told Cointelegraph that the industry should be regulated…
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On Oct. 8, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed new marketing rules compelling cryptocurrency firms to promote their products and services clearly, fairly and transparently. From banning referral bonuses to crypto firms implementing a 24-hour cooling-off period for first-time crypto investors, the stricter Financial Promotions (FinProm) regime aims to help protect consumers from high…
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The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has granted financial services permission to virtual asset firm M2 to operate a multilateral trading facility from the United Arab Emirates capital. In an Aug. 16 announcement, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered M2 said the regulatory approval would allow institutional and retail clients in…
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The Sultanate of Oman is inching closer to launching its own virtual asset regulations, with its financial markets regulator seeking public comments on its proposed regulatory framework governing digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies. The Capital Market Authority of Oman is currently in the process of drafting a comprehensive regime for the virtual asset sector, which…
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The Capital Market Authority (CMA), the regulator of Oman’s financial markets, looks to establish a new regulatory framework for the virtual asset industry in the Sultanate. According to a Feb. 14 press release, the new rules would include oversight of virtual asset activities, a licensing process for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), and a framework…
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